After frank and serious discussions at its Family Dialogue, the Convention People’s Party (CPP) has decided that strict adherence to disciplinary codes and membership drive are part of the main antidote to the party’s dwindling fortunes.
Consequently, the party has decided to focus on these two areas to turn its fortunes around and to be able to win elections in future.
With the disciplinary whip, they agreed that it should be applied rigorously to CPP members who openly declare their support for other political parties and their candidates.
According to a source at the one-day Family Dialogue which ended last Saturday, they noted that lack of internal discipline over the years had contributed to the woes of the party, and that the earlier the PCP constitution was amended to implement the very biting rules and regulations the better.
The meeting of nearly 100 leading members of the party, including current and former presidential candidates and aspirants, national chairmen and general secretaries, member of parliament as well as regional executives from all over the country, was considered successful by many party members.
Some of the leading members who gathered included all the current national executive headed by its chairman, Mr Laid Nylander, Prof. Ivan Addae Mensah, a former Vice Chancellor of the University of Ghana and the General Secretary of the People’s National Party (PNP); Ambassador Kabral Blay-Amihere, Ghana’s former High Commissioner to Sierra Leone; Prof Francis Nkrumah, the son of Dr Kwame Nkrumah; Prof. Mike Hagan, Dr Paa Kwesi Nduom, the 2000 and 2008 Presidential candidates respectively of the party.
Others are Prof. Agyeman Badu Akosa, Dr Kweku Osafo, Mr Bright Akwetey, presidential aspirants of the party in 2008. Prof. Abubakar Alhassan, Mr Felix Amoah and Mr Donkor Ayifili.
As a first move, the party had proposed an early national executive congress to be followed by another congress to elect its flag bearer, but this would be preceded by amendment to the party’s constitution so that it would be adopted by the congress.
It said ambitious reorganisation and rebranding of the party coupled with uncompromising adherence to disciplinary codes would make the party attractive to both the youth who form a greater segment of the population as well as sources of funding.
Another issue that cropped up was the long talked about unity talks with the People’s National Convention (PNC), and although this had not been achieved over the years,the members agreed that new strategies must be evolved to bring all Nkrumaist political parties under one umbrella.
The source said the family dialogue was one of the activities marking the 60th anniversary of the formation of the CPP as well as the centenary celebration of the birth of Dr Kwame Nkrumah, the founder of the party.
Opening the dialogue, Mr Nylander called on members of the party to re-orient themselves and turn the party into a formidable political entity capable of winning elections.
In so doing, he charged them to refrain from always cleaving to the successes of its founding fathers.
“Our generation cannot cling forever to the successes of Nkrumah, Gbedemah, Botsio, Jantuah, Amuah Awuah and the other first generation CPP leaders. We must write our own history of struggle, sacrifice, and our very survival as a viable political party must necessarily undergo some changes,” he added.
Mr Nylander was speaking at the opening of a one-day meeting dubbed “The family dialogue”. It was aimed at addressing the challenges that had bedevilled the party over the years and strategies for the way forward.
He said the party could only make a headway if the members acted with discipline and behaved as members dedicated only to the improvement of the livelihood of Ghanaians through the winning of power by a properly organised CPP.
The dialogue, which was organised for some selected CPP leading members, was held behind closed doors.
Thursday, July 30, 2009
Effect amendment to National Lotto Act — Pleads GLOA
THE Ghana Lotto Operators Association (GLOA) has appealed to the Mills government to live up to its campaign promise and effect the needed amendment to the National Lotto Act 722 (2006) to prevent the loss of jobs for more than 500,000 operators.
“This action by the government will free the growing mass of unemployed people across the country who depend on private lotto from excruciating hopelessness, under-development and slow death,” it added.
Speaking on the recent Supreme Court decision banning GLOA from operating lotto in Ghana, Mr Seth Asante Amoani, the Secretary of the association, said at a press conference in Accra on Tuesday that the creation of a monopoly in a democratic dispensation must be condemned, as it was an anathema to the progress of majority of people who depended on lotto for a living.
He described as heart-warming and patriotic when, during the 2008 elections campaign, then candidate Mills indicated that ‘the NDC government will ensure private participation in national lottery, following the passage of the National Lotto Act 722 (2006) which proscribes private sector participation in lotto’.
He alleged that the association was troubled by the recent subtle and deliberate attempts by some directors of the National Lotto Authority to permanently crush the operations of GLOA.
“GLOA views the efforts by a few selfish men at the National Lotto Authority (NLA) to prevent private sector participation in lottery as unfortunate and unpatriotic, at a time when the government is expected by the World Bank and the IMF to reduce employment in the public sector,” he added.
He said the misleading argument put forward by the NLA, posited on monopoly and revenue generation, was flawed and against the very objective of the NDC government to create the right framework for maximising national revenue with employment generation in the private sector.
Mr Amoani gave the assurance that GLOA was desirous to partner the Mills administration to promote the agenda of getting the private sector to partner the public sector to mobilise revenue for the state and create employment for Ghana’s development.
He also commended government‘s efforts after the Supreme Court decision, especially convening a meeting with GLOA and the NLA to find a middle-way solution to the current economic difficulties and unemployment created across the country by Act 722.
He added that the association was grateful to the government for offering a lifeline through the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning to build consensus in finding a better way of ensuring the participation of the private sector in lotto in Ghana.
According to Mr Amoani, the creation of the NLA was originally proposed by GLOA to serve as the regulator and not an operator of lotto in Ghana.
He said GLOA massively encouraged many Ghanaians to vote for the NDC during the 2008 elections and “it is only proper for the NDC government to restore the livelihoods of its supporters by allowing GLOA to function in the lotto industry in Ghana. One good turn deserves another”.
“We wish to state that if 500,000 people in the private lotto business voted for the NDC and changed the electoral fortunes of the NPP, then the NDC must learn from this and not make the mistake the NPP made, especially when majority of the private sector lotto operators supported the NDC,” Amoani added.
A consultant to the GLOA, Mr Ato Conduah, said the Mills administration had indicated that it was ready to assist in ensuring that the situation was reversed but added that the operators must also be transparent in their dealings.
He said it would be unacceptable for the government to allow private operators to operate their business only to realise that they had refused to pay their taxes, adding that the profit margins on the lotto business were high and that they must pay their taxes for the government to develop the country.
“This action by the government will free the growing mass of unemployed people across the country who depend on private lotto from excruciating hopelessness, under-development and slow death,” it added.
Speaking on the recent Supreme Court decision banning GLOA from operating lotto in Ghana, Mr Seth Asante Amoani, the Secretary of the association, said at a press conference in Accra on Tuesday that the creation of a monopoly in a democratic dispensation must be condemned, as it was an anathema to the progress of majority of people who depended on lotto for a living.
He described as heart-warming and patriotic when, during the 2008 elections campaign, then candidate Mills indicated that ‘the NDC government will ensure private participation in national lottery, following the passage of the National Lotto Act 722 (2006) which proscribes private sector participation in lotto’.
He alleged that the association was troubled by the recent subtle and deliberate attempts by some directors of the National Lotto Authority to permanently crush the operations of GLOA.
“GLOA views the efforts by a few selfish men at the National Lotto Authority (NLA) to prevent private sector participation in lottery as unfortunate and unpatriotic, at a time when the government is expected by the World Bank and the IMF to reduce employment in the public sector,” he added.
He said the misleading argument put forward by the NLA, posited on monopoly and revenue generation, was flawed and against the very objective of the NDC government to create the right framework for maximising national revenue with employment generation in the private sector.
Mr Amoani gave the assurance that GLOA was desirous to partner the Mills administration to promote the agenda of getting the private sector to partner the public sector to mobilise revenue for the state and create employment for Ghana’s development.
He also commended government‘s efforts after the Supreme Court decision, especially convening a meeting with GLOA and the NLA to find a middle-way solution to the current economic difficulties and unemployment created across the country by Act 722.
He added that the association was grateful to the government for offering a lifeline through the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning to build consensus in finding a better way of ensuring the participation of the private sector in lotto in Ghana.
According to Mr Amoani, the creation of the NLA was originally proposed by GLOA to serve as the regulator and not an operator of lotto in Ghana.
He said GLOA massively encouraged many Ghanaians to vote for the NDC during the 2008 elections and “it is only proper for the NDC government to restore the livelihoods of its supporters by allowing GLOA to function in the lotto industry in Ghana. One good turn deserves another”.
“We wish to state that if 500,000 people in the private lotto business voted for the NDC and changed the electoral fortunes of the NPP, then the NDC must learn from this and not make the mistake the NPP made, especially when majority of the private sector lotto operators supported the NDC,” Amoani added.
A consultant to the GLOA, Mr Ato Conduah, said the Mills administration had indicated that it was ready to assist in ensuring that the situation was reversed but added that the operators must also be transparent in their dealings.
He said it would be unacceptable for the government to allow private operators to operate their business only to realise that they had refused to pay their taxes, adding that the profit margins on the lotto business were high and that they must pay their taxes for the government to develop the country.
AFAG urges govt to honour promises
THE Alliance for Accountable Governance (AFAG), a civil society organisation advocating for the welfare of Ghanaians, has said the lack of commitment on the part of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) government to fulfil its campaign promises is waning the trust of the citizenry in politicians generally.
It explained that “the matter of non-fulfilment and the deliberate departure from campaign promises have created widespread perception among the citizenry that public morality is no longer an issue in Ghanaian politics”.
A leading member of AFAG, Mr Kwabena Bonfeh, stated this at a press conference in Accra to announce a date for its intended demonstration against what it described as increasing harsh economic conditions and alleged corrupt practices under the current administration.
The demonstration was first scheduled for July 2, 2009 but the police said they could not provide the demonstrators with adequate security because at that time they were engaged in assisting the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) to undertake a decongesting exercise. It was also during that same time that the police were preparing for the visit of President Barack Obama of the USA to the country.
When AFAG insisted on demonstrating, the police were able to secure a court order to prevent them.
However, just then President J. E. A. Mills called on the police not to prevent demonstrators from exercising their constitutional rights.
AFAG, on the other hand, described the President’s comment as a subversion of the Constitution.
“AFAG believes in the restoration of public morality and confidence as a necessary condition for our democratic advancement. The demonstration of August 4, 2009 will, among others, clearly establish this point,” Mr Bonfeh, who is also the National Youth Organiser of the Convention People’s Party (CPP), added.
He consequently urged all Ghanaians who believed that their condition had worsened to join the clarion call on the government to seek the interest of all and not a privileged few.
Asked what some of the harsh economic conditions were, Mr Bonfeh said as a civil society organisation, AFAG would continue to constructively engage all governments on issues that represented the people’s quest for better living conditions, security, accessible and affordable educational opportunities, among others.
He said contrary to the campaign promise of the NDC to reduce fuel prices drastically, prices had shot up drastically, coupled with pricing irregularities by the National Petroleum Authority (NPA), resulting in further hikes.
He also said the alliance was taking to the street to demonstrate against some profligate expenditure, the financial mess at the Ministry of Youth and Sports, among others.
“This opulent misuse of scarce state resources clearly has some excesses which could have provided three square meals for some poor Ghanaian families, pay the school fees of some students or health insurance of some poor families. This is a defeat of government’s commitment to its austerity measures and an enormous rip-off of the taxpayer’s money,” Mr Bonfeh added.
He said another reason why the group was calling on Ghanaians to join it in the demonstration was the government’s acceptance of the IMF loan facility with dangerous conditionalities and cited some of the conditions as the freeze on public sector employment for two years and full cost recovery at public tertiary institutions, leading to increases in academic user facility fees.
He said the removal of subsidies on electricity and water for students was a clear demonstration of the government’s insensitivity to the suffering of parents and a betrayal of the President’s promise to create jobs for the people.
Mr Bonfeh reiterated its position that the IMF and the World Bank had no panacea for the nation’s ailing economy and that it was high time the country forged partnership with countries such as China and India in the short term.
It explained that “the matter of non-fulfilment and the deliberate departure from campaign promises have created widespread perception among the citizenry that public morality is no longer an issue in Ghanaian politics”.
A leading member of AFAG, Mr Kwabena Bonfeh, stated this at a press conference in Accra to announce a date for its intended demonstration against what it described as increasing harsh economic conditions and alleged corrupt practices under the current administration.
The demonstration was first scheduled for July 2, 2009 but the police said they could not provide the demonstrators with adequate security because at that time they were engaged in assisting the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) to undertake a decongesting exercise. It was also during that same time that the police were preparing for the visit of President Barack Obama of the USA to the country.
When AFAG insisted on demonstrating, the police were able to secure a court order to prevent them.
However, just then President J. E. A. Mills called on the police not to prevent demonstrators from exercising their constitutional rights.
AFAG, on the other hand, described the President’s comment as a subversion of the Constitution.
“AFAG believes in the restoration of public morality and confidence as a necessary condition for our democratic advancement. The demonstration of August 4, 2009 will, among others, clearly establish this point,” Mr Bonfeh, who is also the National Youth Organiser of the Convention People’s Party (CPP), added.
He consequently urged all Ghanaians who believed that their condition had worsened to join the clarion call on the government to seek the interest of all and not a privileged few.
Asked what some of the harsh economic conditions were, Mr Bonfeh said as a civil society organisation, AFAG would continue to constructively engage all governments on issues that represented the people’s quest for better living conditions, security, accessible and affordable educational opportunities, among others.
He said contrary to the campaign promise of the NDC to reduce fuel prices drastically, prices had shot up drastically, coupled with pricing irregularities by the National Petroleum Authority (NPA), resulting in further hikes.
He also said the alliance was taking to the street to demonstrate against some profligate expenditure, the financial mess at the Ministry of Youth and Sports, among others.
“This opulent misuse of scarce state resources clearly has some excesses which could have provided three square meals for some poor Ghanaian families, pay the school fees of some students or health insurance of some poor families. This is a defeat of government’s commitment to its austerity measures and an enormous rip-off of the taxpayer’s money,” Mr Bonfeh added.
He said another reason why the group was calling on Ghanaians to join it in the demonstration was the government’s acceptance of the IMF loan facility with dangerous conditionalities and cited some of the conditions as the freeze on public sector employment for two years and full cost recovery at public tertiary institutions, leading to increases in academic user facility fees.
He said the removal of subsidies on electricity and water for students was a clear demonstration of the government’s insensitivity to the suffering of parents and a betrayal of the President’s promise to create jobs for the people.
Mr Bonfeh reiterated its position that the IMF and the World Bank had no panacea for the nation’s ailing economy and that it was high time the country forged partnership with countries such as China and India in the short term.
Lister Hospital undergoes expansion
THE sod has been cut for work to begin on the second phase of the expansion programme of the Lister Hospital and Fertility Centre.
The project is estimated to cost about $17.5 million and it is to help increase its capacity to cater for the needs of its increasing clients.
It is to commemorate five years of the hospital’s existence and it will have such facilities as urology, plastic surgery, nuero-surgery, increased fertility services, X-ray, mammogram, endoscopy, intensive care unit, CT scan, MRI, renal dialysis, ENT departments and more beds.
Currently, the hospital provides services in the area of general health, fertility, surgery, pharmacy, X-ray and a 24-hour medical service
Briefing the media about the project, the Medical Director of the hospital, Dr Kwadwo Edem Hiadzi, said the hospital started five years ago with 300 clients but this had increased to about 10,000.
He said it had become necessary to expand the facility because of the growing number of clients and the need to support the government’s efforts at providing quality healthier service to Ghanaians.
He expressed worry about the increasing fertility problems among Ghanaians especially men, because of various infections.
Dr Hiadzi attributed most of the infertility problems to the intake of unprescribed drugs and improperly treated infections, mainly among men which culminated in damage to certain tubes in their body.
He urged Ghanaians to seek proper healthcare from qualified health professionals whenever they had problems with infections, particularly pertaining to their sexual organs and those who take certain herbs.
He debunked claims that men who were promiscuous and alcoholic were those with fertility problems.
According to him, the problem could be traced to pollutants and toxins.
Dr Hiadzi called for support for private health facilities to enable them compliment the central government’s efforts at providing quality and accessible healthcare services.
The Minister of Finance, Dr Kwabena Duffuor who was the special guest of honour said the government recognised that a healthy population meant significant savings on expenditure on health and increased productivity leading to the growth of the economy.
“This is why the policy of the health sector emphasises the creation of wealth through health. The important role the Lister Hospital plays in this regard therefore cannot be overlooked,” he added.
The project is estimated to cost about $17.5 million and it is to help increase its capacity to cater for the needs of its increasing clients.
It is to commemorate five years of the hospital’s existence and it will have such facilities as urology, plastic surgery, nuero-surgery, increased fertility services, X-ray, mammogram, endoscopy, intensive care unit, CT scan, MRI, renal dialysis, ENT departments and more beds.
Currently, the hospital provides services in the area of general health, fertility, surgery, pharmacy, X-ray and a 24-hour medical service
Briefing the media about the project, the Medical Director of the hospital, Dr Kwadwo Edem Hiadzi, said the hospital started five years ago with 300 clients but this had increased to about 10,000.
He said it had become necessary to expand the facility because of the growing number of clients and the need to support the government’s efforts at providing quality healthier service to Ghanaians.
He expressed worry about the increasing fertility problems among Ghanaians especially men, because of various infections.
Dr Hiadzi attributed most of the infertility problems to the intake of unprescribed drugs and improperly treated infections, mainly among men which culminated in damage to certain tubes in their body.
He urged Ghanaians to seek proper healthcare from qualified health professionals whenever they had problems with infections, particularly pertaining to their sexual organs and those who take certain herbs.
He debunked claims that men who were promiscuous and alcoholic were those with fertility problems.
According to him, the problem could be traced to pollutants and toxins.
Dr Hiadzi called for support for private health facilities to enable them compliment the central government’s efforts at providing quality and accessible healthcare services.
The Minister of Finance, Dr Kwabena Duffuor who was the special guest of honour said the government recognised that a healthy population meant significant savings on expenditure on health and increased productivity leading to the growth of the economy.
“This is why the policy of the health sector emphasises the creation of wealth through health. The important role the Lister Hospital plays in this regard therefore cannot be overlooked,” he added.
Man shaves hair to raise funds for orphanage
A staff of Likusasa,a telecommunications and power infrastructure providers in Ghana, Mr Adriaan Rossouw, has cut his 25-year-old overgrown hair to raise GH¢5,100 for the Family Outreach Orphanage and Activated School at Mantey Ma, near the Spintex Road.
Mr Rossouw, a South African and the technical specialist of the company, was able to raise GH¢2,500, while the management of Likusasa provided a counterpart fund of GH¢ 2,500.
According to him, his decision to raise the funds was informed by the plight of the children, some of whom were orphans, and the uncompleted physical infrastructure.
He said as a parent he felt that innocent children must be given all available opportunities to realise their God-given talents to grow to become responsible citizens for the nation and their families.
Briefing the Daily Graphic, the Project Manager of Likusasa, Mr Werner Bester, said the donation was part of the company’s contribution towards the upkeep of the needy in society.
He said the company, which had been in the country for three years, was responsible for building telecommunication site poles for Vodafone and the MTN.
“As a responsible company, we should give back to the society in which we work, “ he said, and commended Global Outdoor Systems for their support in raising the amount.
Receiving the items, the Project Manager of Family Outreach, Ghana, Mrs Juan Danmola, said the orphanage was initially housed in a garage but decided to move into a new site to enable it to accommodate the increasing number of pupils and inmates.
She said although the area was dominated by rich people, the high rate of abandoned and orphaned children whose parents were mostly squatters was very surprising. The children are being given tuition in basic reading, writing skills and arithmetic.
She said the orphanage, which was established in 2002 ,currently has 46 children excluding older ones who were being sponsored by the orphanage to continue their education outside the home.
Mrs Danmola appealed to individuals and other corporate organisations to come to the aid of the orphanage, especially through their e-mail address - familyoutreach_yahoo.com
• Mr Adriaan Rossouw (right) and Mr Werner Bester (second right) presenting the dummy cheque to Mr Emmanuel D. Tindogo, Director of the Home. Looking on are some of the children.
Mr Rossouw, a South African and the technical specialist of the company, was able to raise GH¢2,500, while the management of Likusasa provided a counterpart fund of GH¢ 2,500.
According to him, his decision to raise the funds was informed by the plight of the children, some of whom were orphans, and the uncompleted physical infrastructure.
He said as a parent he felt that innocent children must be given all available opportunities to realise their God-given talents to grow to become responsible citizens for the nation and their families.
Briefing the Daily Graphic, the Project Manager of Likusasa, Mr Werner Bester, said the donation was part of the company’s contribution towards the upkeep of the needy in society.
He said the company, which had been in the country for three years, was responsible for building telecommunication site poles for Vodafone and the MTN.
“As a responsible company, we should give back to the society in which we work, “ he said, and commended Global Outdoor Systems for their support in raising the amount.
Receiving the items, the Project Manager of Family Outreach, Ghana, Mrs Juan Danmola, said the orphanage was initially housed in a garage but decided to move into a new site to enable it to accommodate the increasing number of pupils and inmates.
She said although the area was dominated by rich people, the high rate of abandoned and orphaned children whose parents were mostly squatters was very surprising. The children are being given tuition in basic reading, writing skills and arithmetic.
She said the orphanage, which was established in 2002 ,currently has 46 children excluding older ones who were being sponsored by the orphanage to continue their education outside the home.
Mrs Danmola appealed to individuals and other corporate organisations to come to the aid of the orphanage, especially through their e-mail address - familyoutreach_yahoo.com
• Mr Adriaan Rossouw (right) and Mr Werner Bester (second right) presenting the dummy cheque to Mr Emmanuel D. Tindogo, Director of the Home. Looking on are some of the children.
Sunday, July 26, 2009
CPP holds family Dialogue
The Chairman of the Convention People’s Party (CPP), Mr Ladi Nylander, has called on the members of the party to re-orient themselves and turn the party into a formidable political entity capable of winning elections.
In so doing, he has charged them to refrain from always cleaving to the successes of its founding fathers.
“Our generation cannot cling forever to the successes of Nkrumah, Gbedemah, Botsio, Jantuah, Amuah Awuah and the other first generation CPP leaders. We must write our own history of struggle, sacrifice, and our very survival as a viable political party must necessarily undergo some changes,” he added.
Mr Nylander was speaking at the opening of a one-day meeting dubbed “The family dialogue”. It was aimed at addressing the challenges that had bedevilled the party over the years and strategies for the way forward.
The dialogue, which was organised for some selected CPP leading members, was held behind closed doors.
Some of the leading members who presented papers were Prof. Ivan Addae Mensah, a former Vice Chancellor of the University of Ghana and the General Secretary of the People’s National Party (PNP); Ambassador Kabral Blay-Amihere, Ghana’s former High Commissioner to Sierra Leone;Prof Francis Nkrumah, the son of the Dr Kwame Nkrumah; Prof. Mike Hagan, 2000 Presidential Candidate of the party; Prof. Agyeman Badu Akosa, a presidential aspirant of the party in 2008.
According to the National Chairman, the CPP’s performance in the Fourth Republic had been “disappointing”, it had not won elections, and that the CPP of today bore no resemblance to the CPP of the glorious First Republic.
He expressed the hope that the forum would provide the leading members the opportunity to brainstorm and find solutions to what he termed as the “desperate situation” of the party.
He said the party could only make a headway if the members acted with discipline and behaved as members dedicated only to the improvement of the livelihood of Ghanaians through the winning of power by a properly organised CPP.
Mr Nylander attributed the current state of affairs of the party to the actions and inaction of the members and said “what we do within these four walls in the next eight hours will determine the future of this once great party if we are serious”.
The Chairman of the Planning Committee of the programme, Mr Kojo Armah, appealed to the participants to be frank and come up with what they believed was the problem facing the party and boldly but decorously point out personal problems they had with other members of the party concerning the organisation of the CPP and suggest pragmatic ways of repositioning the party to win elections.
Most of the leading members the Daily Graphic attempted to talk to were tight-lipped about what they would discuss at the meeting and explained that it was a family dialogue meant to iron out differences and not for public consumption.
Mr B. K. Senkyire and Prof. Nii Noi Dowuona presented papers on “Party constitution and the need for a review” and “Critical look at the party and the leadership structure” respectively.
Some former party presidential aspirants and Members of the Parliament (MPs) held a panel discussion on challenges facing the party. They are Prof. Akosa, Mr Bright Akwetey, Dr Kweku Osafo, Alhaji Ibrahim Mahama, Dr F. W. A. Akuffo and Ms Samia Nkrumah.
It was moderated by Mr Blay Amihere, Mrs Monica Evans Quayson and Mrs Elizabeth Akpalu. The second discussion on the challenges facing the party was held by some chairmen and flag bearers of the party. They are Prof. Hagan, Mr George Aggudey, Dr Paa Kwesi Nduom, Prof. Abubakar Alhassan, Mr Felix Amoah, Dr Edmund Delle and Mr Donkor Ayifili.
Apart from the leading members of the party, regional executives of the party from the entire country were also present.
In so doing, he has charged them to refrain from always cleaving to the successes of its founding fathers.
“Our generation cannot cling forever to the successes of Nkrumah, Gbedemah, Botsio, Jantuah, Amuah Awuah and the other first generation CPP leaders. We must write our own history of struggle, sacrifice, and our very survival as a viable political party must necessarily undergo some changes,” he added.
Mr Nylander was speaking at the opening of a one-day meeting dubbed “The family dialogue”. It was aimed at addressing the challenges that had bedevilled the party over the years and strategies for the way forward.
The dialogue, which was organised for some selected CPP leading members, was held behind closed doors.
Some of the leading members who presented papers were Prof. Ivan Addae Mensah, a former Vice Chancellor of the University of Ghana and the General Secretary of the People’s National Party (PNP); Ambassador Kabral Blay-Amihere, Ghana’s former High Commissioner to Sierra Leone;Prof Francis Nkrumah, the son of the Dr Kwame Nkrumah; Prof. Mike Hagan, 2000 Presidential Candidate of the party; Prof. Agyeman Badu Akosa, a presidential aspirant of the party in 2008.
According to the National Chairman, the CPP’s performance in the Fourth Republic had been “disappointing”, it had not won elections, and that the CPP of today bore no resemblance to the CPP of the glorious First Republic.
He expressed the hope that the forum would provide the leading members the opportunity to brainstorm and find solutions to what he termed as the “desperate situation” of the party.
He said the party could only make a headway if the members acted with discipline and behaved as members dedicated only to the improvement of the livelihood of Ghanaians through the winning of power by a properly organised CPP.
Mr Nylander attributed the current state of affairs of the party to the actions and inaction of the members and said “what we do within these four walls in the next eight hours will determine the future of this once great party if we are serious”.
The Chairman of the Planning Committee of the programme, Mr Kojo Armah, appealed to the participants to be frank and come up with what they believed was the problem facing the party and boldly but decorously point out personal problems they had with other members of the party concerning the organisation of the CPP and suggest pragmatic ways of repositioning the party to win elections.
Most of the leading members the Daily Graphic attempted to talk to were tight-lipped about what they would discuss at the meeting and explained that it was a family dialogue meant to iron out differences and not for public consumption.
Mr B. K. Senkyire and Prof. Nii Noi Dowuona presented papers on “Party constitution and the need for a review” and “Critical look at the party and the leadership structure” respectively.
Some former party presidential aspirants and Members of the Parliament (MPs) held a panel discussion on challenges facing the party. They are Prof. Akosa, Mr Bright Akwetey, Dr Kweku Osafo, Alhaji Ibrahim Mahama, Dr F. W. A. Akuffo and Ms Samia Nkrumah.
It was moderated by Mr Blay Amihere, Mrs Monica Evans Quayson and Mrs Elizabeth Akpalu. The second discussion on the challenges facing the party was held by some chairmen and flag bearers of the party. They are Prof. Hagan, Mr George Aggudey, Dr Paa Kwesi Nduom, Prof. Abubakar Alhassan, Mr Felix Amoah, Dr Edmund Delle and Mr Donkor Ayifili.
Apart from the leading members of the party, regional executives of the party from the entire country were also present.
Probe PSC Tema Shipyard Company — CJA
The Committee for Joint Action (CJA), a pressure group, has called on the government to institute a probe into the findings of the internal audit report of the PSC Tema Shipyard Company for the first quarter of 2009.
This is to reverse the alleged corrupt practices in the company, bring the perpetrators to book and also ensure that the government derives maximum dividend from its 30 per cent share in the company.
Mr Kwesi Adu, a leading member of the CJA, made the call at a press conference in Accra on Wednesday to disclose parts of the internal audit report, which he said were made up of cases of non-compliance with procurement rules, strange payments to board members and solicitors, misapplication of cash, non-payment of employees’ provident fund to banks, undated foreign transactions and conflicts of interest.
He said the fact that the Audit Department was being debarred from carrying out pre-audit of payment vouchers and also none of the seven quarterly reports submitted in 2007 and 2008 had been formally responded to, although they were replete with cases of flagrant violations of operation procedures by managers, called for further investigations.
He said between December 2008 and January 2009, four agreements with SBT Associates, Merchant Naval Ratings Associate Co Ltd, JIOE Engineering Complex and Keta Shipping Services were signed, leading to loss of revenue amounting to hundreds of thousands of Ghana cedis.
“An examination of those agreements showed that laid down procedures for the award of contracts or obtaining tenders were completely not followed. In each case, only one tender was considered, instead of three. At the same time, no tender evaluation was followed,” Mr Adu added.
He alleged that the PSC Tema Shipyard Company paid the then Tema Regional Police Commander GH¢2,000 as personal expenses, while his deputy was given GH¢1,000 on December 12, 2008, while on March 9, 2009 GH¢ 9,000 worth of hampers was given to 60 policemen.
He again alleged that the company paid funeral donations of GH¢10,000 to the families of two deceased persons who had died in an accident, although they were not employees of the company, adding that, surprisingly, family members of staff of the company who died were entitled to GH¢ 2,000.
He said an examination of the bill that was raised on MV Aldan, a ship repair project that was undertaken between August and October 2008, revealed a revenue loss of over $776,302.75 to the company which was occasioned by miscalculations, wrong application of tariffs and in some cases arbitrary reduction in the approved tariffs.
Mr Adu said the audit report attributed the loss to collusion among the Chief Financial Officer, the Chief Operational Officer and the Yard Development Officer of the company.
He said in 2008, Salvation Merchant Fishing Company Limited brought a vessel, MV Theresa, to be scrapped and after paying a deposit of $15,000 in May 2008, a final invoice of $73,248.62, representing fees for the completed job, was raised on August 15, 2008. The outstanding balance of $58,248.62 remained unpaid as of March 31, 2009.
“Similarly, in April 2008 EdGRace Recycling Services was billed $99,481for scrapping the vessel MV Tahoma Reefer. While it still owed $30,000.35 on this invoice, the company was allowed to cart away all the metal scraps for sale
“Another vessel, MV Lagos Mariner, was accepted for scrapping without the payment of any deposit. An invoice, with the number 24964038, for $74,455.60 was raised on it in September 2008. Only $25,146.69 has since been paid, leaving an outstanding balance of $49,308.91,” he added.
This is to reverse the alleged corrupt practices in the company, bring the perpetrators to book and also ensure that the government derives maximum dividend from its 30 per cent share in the company.
Mr Kwesi Adu, a leading member of the CJA, made the call at a press conference in Accra on Wednesday to disclose parts of the internal audit report, which he said were made up of cases of non-compliance with procurement rules, strange payments to board members and solicitors, misapplication of cash, non-payment of employees’ provident fund to banks, undated foreign transactions and conflicts of interest.
He said the fact that the Audit Department was being debarred from carrying out pre-audit of payment vouchers and also none of the seven quarterly reports submitted in 2007 and 2008 had been formally responded to, although they were replete with cases of flagrant violations of operation procedures by managers, called for further investigations.
He said between December 2008 and January 2009, four agreements with SBT Associates, Merchant Naval Ratings Associate Co Ltd, JIOE Engineering Complex and Keta Shipping Services were signed, leading to loss of revenue amounting to hundreds of thousands of Ghana cedis.
“An examination of those agreements showed that laid down procedures for the award of contracts or obtaining tenders were completely not followed. In each case, only one tender was considered, instead of three. At the same time, no tender evaluation was followed,” Mr Adu added.
He alleged that the PSC Tema Shipyard Company paid the then Tema Regional Police Commander GH¢2,000 as personal expenses, while his deputy was given GH¢1,000 on December 12, 2008, while on March 9, 2009 GH¢ 9,000 worth of hampers was given to 60 policemen.
He again alleged that the company paid funeral donations of GH¢10,000 to the families of two deceased persons who had died in an accident, although they were not employees of the company, adding that, surprisingly, family members of staff of the company who died were entitled to GH¢ 2,000.
He said an examination of the bill that was raised on MV Aldan, a ship repair project that was undertaken between August and October 2008, revealed a revenue loss of over $776,302.75 to the company which was occasioned by miscalculations, wrong application of tariffs and in some cases arbitrary reduction in the approved tariffs.
Mr Adu said the audit report attributed the loss to collusion among the Chief Financial Officer, the Chief Operational Officer and the Yard Development Officer of the company.
He said in 2008, Salvation Merchant Fishing Company Limited brought a vessel, MV Theresa, to be scrapped and after paying a deposit of $15,000 in May 2008, a final invoice of $73,248.62, representing fees for the completed job, was raised on August 15, 2008. The outstanding balance of $58,248.62 remained unpaid as of March 31, 2009.
“Similarly, in April 2008 EdGRace Recycling Services was billed $99,481for scrapping the vessel MV Tahoma Reefer. While it still owed $30,000.35 on this invoice, the company was allowed to cart away all the metal scraps for sale
“Another vessel, MV Lagos Mariner, was accepted for scrapping without the payment of any deposit. An invoice, with the number 24964038, for $74,455.60 was raised on it in September 2008. Only $25,146.69 has since been paid, leaving an outstanding balance of $49,308.91,” he added.
Appoint energetic ambassadors — NDC Italy chapter
The Italy Chapter of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) has added its voice to the call on the Mills Administration to expedite action on the appointment of ambassadors and high commissioners to the various countries.
It said the delay was affecting the country’s move to attract foreign investors as well as the well being of Ghanaians living abroad, especially those in Italy.
Some Chapter members led by Messrs Yawona Sulemana Ibrahim and Andy Kudjey-Cudjoe, Chairman and Propaganda Secretary of the Chapter made the call when they called at the offices of the Daily Graphic to solidarise with a similar call made by another leading member of the party, Dr Ekwow Spio-Garbrah in the July 15, 2009 edition of the paper.
They also appealed to the government to ensure that those posted to represent the government as ambassadors and high commissioners were energetic, knowledgeable and ready to sell Ghana to the international community.
They commended President Mills for appointing more youthful people into his administration in fulfilment of his campaign promise and urged him to let this reflect in the appointment of ambassadors and high commissioners.
Dr Spio-Garbrah, had earlier in an interview told the Daily Graphic that the absence of Ghanaian political ambassadors in such high-profile posts as London and Washington would make it difficult for the Mills administration to obtain the fullest benefits out of visits paid by President Mills and a government delegation to London some two months ago, and the recent visit by Mr Obama to Ghana.
According to Mr Ibrahim, prior to and after the December 2008 elections, the Chapter held discussions and victory rally respectively at which it whipped up interest about investment opportunities in the country to some Italian investors.
He said after the two programmes, at least 24 investors expressed interest and readiness to invest in the country, immediately the government was settled and ambassadors appointed to facilitate their smooth movement to the country.
He said after the government had settled,the investors have been contacting them as to when the process would begin for them to come to Ghana to invest.
Mr Ibrahim said because the investors had waited for far too long without any ambassador, they have found their way into the country, and unfortunately some of them had been duped by some recalcitrant persons under the pretext of leading them to the Presidency.
He said others who could not muster the courage to go through the unofficial means were turning their attention to other countries where their movement would be facilitated officially.
He said aside the fact that the situation was affecting the investment drive, it was also giving the government a bad name because people might think that those who were extorting money from the investors were from government circles.
It said the delay was affecting the country’s move to attract foreign investors as well as the well being of Ghanaians living abroad, especially those in Italy.
Some Chapter members led by Messrs Yawona Sulemana Ibrahim and Andy Kudjey-Cudjoe, Chairman and Propaganda Secretary of the Chapter made the call when they called at the offices of the Daily Graphic to solidarise with a similar call made by another leading member of the party, Dr Ekwow Spio-Garbrah in the July 15, 2009 edition of the paper.
They also appealed to the government to ensure that those posted to represent the government as ambassadors and high commissioners were energetic, knowledgeable and ready to sell Ghana to the international community.
They commended President Mills for appointing more youthful people into his administration in fulfilment of his campaign promise and urged him to let this reflect in the appointment of ambassadors and high commissioners.
Dr Spio-Garbrah, had earlier in an interview told the Daily Graphic that the absence of Ghanaian political ambassadors in such high-profile posts as London and Washington would make it difficult for the Mills administration to obtain the fullest benefits out of visits paid by President Mills and a government delegation to London some two months ago, and the recent visit by Mr Obama to Ghana.
According to Mr Ibrahim, prior to and after the December 2008 elections, the Chapter held discussions and victory rally respectively at which it whipped up interest about investment opportunities in the country to some Italian investors.
He said after the two programmes, at least 24 investors expressed interest and readiness to invest in the country, immediately the government was settled and ambassadors appointed to facilitate their smooth movement to the country.
He said after the government had settled,the investors have been contacting them as to when the process would begin for them to come to Ghana to invest.
Mr Ibrahim said because the investors had waited for far too long without any ambassador, they have found their way into the country, and unfortunately some of them had been duped by some recalcitrant persons under the pretext of leading them to the Presidency.
He said others who could not muster the courage to go through the unofficial means were turning their attention to other countries where their movement would be facilitated officially.
He said aside the fact that the situation was affecting the investment drive, it was also giving the government a bad name because people might think that those who were extorting money from the investors were from government circles.
Don’t be complacent about election success — Asante
Nana Dr S. K. B. Asante, Paramount Chief of the Asokore Traditional Area has called on Ghanaians not to be complacent about the successful transition from one political party to the other but to undertake a thorough assessment of the electoral flaws that nearly marred the 2008 elections.
He said this would offer the nation the opportunity to address such serious lapses that nearly brought the country to its brink and would ensure that such lapses did not rear their ugly heads in subsequent elections.
Dr Asante made the call when he launched the report on the 2008 election compiled by the Coalition of Domestic Election Observation (CODEO) in Accra on Thurday.
The report produced under the auspices of the Ghana Centre for Democratic Development with funding from the USAID, covered electoral activities from registration of voters to primaries and campaigns of political parties, elections and aftermath of elections as well as the work of the Electoral Commission (EC).
According to Dr Asante, Ghanaians should remember that during the afterglow of elections, the several problems mentioned during the campaigns remain to be addressed, and that resolving these issues must be a top priority in order to secure and better organise the next election.
Dr Asante applauded four eminent Ghanaians, including the two former Presidents, Flt Lt J.J Rawlings and Mr J.A Kufuor as well as President J.E.A Mills and Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo- Addo for their great roles in the sustenance of the Fourth Republic.
He commended Mr Rawlings for handing over power peacefully after his party had lost elections in 2000, praised Mr Kufuor for also waiting in opposition for 30 years and playing by the rules until he assumed the reins of power and handed over the seat of power peacefully after his two-term in office.
He said President Mills also deserved applause for conceding defeat in 2000 and 2004 even before the results were declared, and mentioned Nana Akufo-Addo for also accepting defeat in a closely contested election because he could have called for a recount or resorted to court actions that could have created problems.
Dr Asante urged the followers of the four leading political figures to play by the rules of the game, exercise restraints and always ensure that they put the interest and unity of the nation first in all their endeavours.
He commended CODEO for the comprehensive report, which details most of the problems associated with the 2008 elections, and urged the various stake holders to address the concerns raised by the report.
He also urged CODEO to go beyond election monitoring and complement the efforts of governance institutions like the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) by educating Ghanaians about civics, proper ways of voting, and entrenching democracy in young Ghanaians to reduce the increasing number of spoilt ballots.
Presenting a summary of CODEO’s Election 2008 Report, Professor Miranda Greenstreet said one issue that had the propensity to undermine the electoral process was the inability of the EC to execute a reliable timetable for all its activities.
This, she said, was very evident especially when the commission could not follow its timetable leading to problematic registration of voters, exhibition of voters register and limited voter’s registration.
She also mentioned the involvement of security agencies in the electoral process, and said that they needed to show more courage in arresting violators.
Professor Miranda Greenstreet mentioned that there should be a stronger presence of security personnel at polling stations that have large voter turn outs, in order to better facilitate and direct the voting crowds.
In addition, she mentioned that the electoral process must adopt a more transparent method of relaying election results during elections to prevent unnecessary delays that heighten tensions among the electorate.
She said, contrary to the constitutional provisions that prohibit chiefs from actively participating in party politics, some chiefs were seen on political party platforms campaigning for their preferred candidate during the last election.
Professor Greenstreet also said that CODEO was seeking biometric voting technology for the 2012 general presidential election, in order to eliminate double registration, and registration of minors and aliens.
Mr Kofi Quantson, former director of the Bureau of National Investigation who also attended the conference, said during a Q&A that if the country had fallen apart during the 2008 elections, it would have been caused by the incompetence of the security agencies for their inability to arrest and persecute electoral offenders.
He said this would offer the nation the opportunity to address such serious lapses that nearly brought the country to its brink and would ensure that such lapses did not rear their ugly heads in subsequent elections.
Dr Asante made the call when he launched the report on the 2008 election compiled by the Coalition of Domestic Election Observation (CODEO) in Accra on Thurday.
The report produced under the auspices of the Ghana Centre for Democratic Development with funding from the USAID, covered electoral activities from registration of voters to primaries and campaigns of political parties, elections and aftermath of elections as well as the work of the Electoral Commission (EC).
According to Dr Asante, Ghanaians should remember that during the afterglow of elections, the several problems mentioned during the campaigns remain to be addressed, and that resolving these issues must be a top priority in order to secure and better organise the next election.
Dr Asante applauded four eminent Ghanaians, including the two former Presidents, Flt Lt J.J Rawlings and Mr J.A Kufuor as well as President J.E.A Mills and Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo- Addo for their great roles in the sustenance of the Fourth Republic.
He commended Mr Rawlings for handing over power peacefully after his party had lost elections in 2000, praised Mr Kufuor for also waiting in opposition for 30 years and playing by the rules until he assumed the reins of power and handed over the seat of power peacefully after his two-term in office.
He said President Mills also deserved applause for conceding defeat in 2000 and 2004 even before the results were declared, and mentioned Nana Akufo-Addo for also accepting defeat in a closely contested election because he could have called for a recount or resorted to court actions that could have created problems.
Dr Asante urged the followers of the four leading political figures to play by the rules of the game, exercise restraints and always ensure that they put the interest and unity of the nation first in all their endeavours.
He commended CODEO for the comprehensive report, which details most of the problems associated with the 2008 elections, and urged the various stake holders to address the concerns raised by the report.
He also urged CODEO to go beyond election monitoring and complement the efforts of governance institutions like the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) by educating Ghanaians about civics, proper ways of voting, and entrenching democracy in young Ghanaians to reduce the increasing number of spoilt ballots.
Presenting a summary of CODEO’s Election 2008 Report, Professor Miranda Greenstreet said one issue that had the propensity to undermine the electoral process was the inability of the EC to execute a reliable timetable for all its activities.
This, she said, was very evident especially when the commission could not follow its timetable leading to problematic registration of voters, exhibition of voters register and limited voter’s registration.
She also mentioned the involvement of security agencies in the electoral process, and said that they needed to show more courage in arresting violators.
Professor Miranda Greenstreet mentioned that there should be a stronger presence of security personnel at polling stations that have large voter turn outs, in order to better facilitate and direct the voting crowds.
In addition, she mentioned that the electoral process must adopt a more transparent method of relaying election results during elections to prevent unnecessary delays that heighten tensions among the electorate.
She said, contrary to the constitutional provisions that prohibit chiefs from actively participating in party politics, some chiefs were seen on political party platforms campaigning for their preferred candidate during the last election.
Professor Greenstreet also said that CODEO was seeking biometric voting technology for the 2012 general presidential election, in order to eliminate double registration, and registration of minors and aliens.
Mr Kofi Quantson, former director of the Bureau of National Investigation who also attended the conference, said during a Q&A that if the country had fallen apart during the 2008 elections, it would have been caused by the incompetence of the security agencies for their inability to arrest and persecute electoral offenders.
Emulate good qualities of Obama — Prof. Oquaye
The Second Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Prof. Mike Oquaye has urged Ghanaian youth to emulate the good qualities of President Barack Hussein Obama in order to become effective leaders and agents of change in their communities and the entire country.
He said the US President was able to weather the storm whilst he was growing up, educated himself, served his community and through persistence and obedience to the rules, became the first African-American President of the USA.
Prof. Oquaye who is also the Member of Parliament (MP) for Dome-Kwabenya was commenting on a statement he made on the Floor of Parliament said, “the youth must make the sky their limit and not to allow themselves to be misled, especially into false ideologies, extremism and also be used as ponds by politicians.”
He said in this era of information, communication and technology, it behoved on the youth to educate themselves, especially in ICT as well as the requisite expertise, to be in good stead to take up responsible positions just as President Obama did through the media to raise resources for his campaign.
He said the youth must also copy President Obama’s ability to stay focused in the face of some disappointments to realise his vision; he was committed to his cause and succeeded.
Prof. Oquaye said President Obama had broken myth, by being the first African-American President and “this should be a perpetual encouragement for the youth of Ghana, especially those from broken homes.”
He expressed worry about the dwindling communal work spirit of the youth and cited the example of President Obama, who after law school decided to work for his community instead of working at a lucrative law firm for better remuneration.
Prof. Oquaye noted that through his commitment to succeed, Obama was able to win election in a country where his fellow blacks constituted just 20 per cent of the population.
On the lessons the Ghanaian legislature could derive from President Obama’s experience, Prof. Oquaye said the US President relied on his legislative records, among others, the introduction of the Honest Leadership and Open Government Act signed in September 2007.
He, therefore, called for a system to record the various votes of individual MPs on all issues on the floor of the House.
???He also called for the preservation of the country’s heritage like what pertained in the USA, because through President Obama who had Abraham Lincoln as his hero in his political career was able to use the bible Abraham Lincoln used in 1861 for his presidential oath in 2009.???
Prof. Oquaye wondered if in Ghana’s case a future CPP President-elect would be able to have access to the bible President Nkrumah used in 1960 for his inauguration.
He said President Obama’s rejection of state funding and big money from money bags for his campaign and his reliance on small contributions from ordinary people through the Internet was an ample indication that individual parties could raise funds from the ordinary electorate.
This he said would give the contributors a sense of ownership and disabuse their minds that politicians were there to dish out money for votes during elections.
Prof. Oquaye also commended President Obama for re-emphasising the point that public office was a call to service and not self-aggrandisement adding that African leaders must learn a great deal from this.
He said Africa in general and Ghana in particular were not expecting magic from Obama’s administration but expressed the hope that the USA would extend equity to developing nations and ensure a new world economic order which was fair and just.
He also called for the revision of the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) because it had too many inhibitive technicalities that eroded the aim of benefiting African exporters.
He said the US President was able to weather the storm whilst he was growing up, educated himself, served his community and through persistence and obedience to the rules, became the first African-American President of the USA.
Prof. Oquaye who is also the Member of Parliament (MP) for Dome-Kwabenya was commenting on a statement he made on the Floor of Parliament said, “the youth must make the sky their limit and not to allow themselves to be misled, especially into false ideologies, extremism and also be used as ponds by politicians.”
He said in this era of information, communication and technology, it behoved on the youth to educate themselves, especially in ICT as well as the requisite expertise, to be in good stead to take up responsible positions just as President Obama did through the media to raise resources for his campaign.
He said the youth must also copy President Obama’s ability to stay focused in the face of some disappointments to realise his vision; he was committed to his cause and succeeded.
Prof. Oquaye said President Obama had broken myth, by being the first African-American President and “this should be a perpetual encouragement for the youth of Ghana, especially those from broken homes.”
He expressed worry about the dwindling communal work spirit of the youth and cited the example of President Obama, who after law school decided to work for his community instead of working at a lucrative law firm for better remuneration.
Prof. Oquaye noted that through his commitment to succeed, Obama was able to win election in a country where his fellow blacks constituted just 20 per cent of the population.
On the lessons the Ghanaian legislature could derive from President Obama’s experience, Prof. Oquaye said the US President relied on his legislative records, among others, the introduction of the Honest Leadership and Open Government Act signed in September 2007.
He, therefore, called for a system to record the various votes of individual MPs on all issues on the floor of the House.
???He also called for the preservation of the country’s heritage like what pertained in the USA, because through President Obama who had Abraham Lincoln as his hero in his political career was able to use the bible Abraham Lincoln used in 1861 for his presidential oath in 2009.???
Prof. Oquaye wondered if in Ghana’s case a future CPP President-elect would be able to have access to the bible President Nkrumah used in 1960 for his inauguration.
He said President Obama’s rejection of state funding and big money from money bags for his campaign and his reliance on small contributions from ordinary people through the Internet was an ample indication that individual parties could raise funds from the ordinary electorate.
This he said would give the contributors a sense of ownership and disabuse their minds that politicians were there to dish out money for votes during elections.
Prof. Oquaye also commended President Obama for re-emphasising the point that public office was a call to service and not self-aggrandisement adding that African leaders must learn a great deal from this.
He said Africa in general and Ghana in particular were not expecting magic from Obama’s administration but expressed the hope that the USA would extend equity to developing nations and ensure a new world economic order which was fair and just.
He also called for the revision of the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) because it had too many inhibitive technicalities that eroded the aim of benefiting African exporters.
Delay of appointing envoys costly — Spio-Garbrah
Dr Ekwow Spio-Garbrah, a leading Member of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) has urged the Mills administration to expedite the appointment of the country’s political ambassadors and high commissioners, as the delay is costing the nation a lot of possible benefits.
According to him, the move had become even more urgent with the successful recent visit of US President Mr Barack Obama to the country.
Dr Spio-Garbrah who was Ghana’s Ambassador to the United States from 1994-97, expressed worry that although the names of some prospective ambassadorial candidates had appeared in the media, the absence of Ghanaian political ambassadors in such high-profile posts as London and Washington would make it difficult for the Mills government to obtain the fullest benefits out of visits paid by President Mills and a government delegation to London some two months ago, and the recent visit by Mr Obama.
He said contrary to some widely-held views that ambassadorial appointments were largely ceremonial positions, they were rather for serious international businesses, and that in the specific case of the United States, “Ghana would be making a sad mistake if it appointed a slow and dull individual for the purpose of pre- or post-retirement relaxation in Washington, or for reasons of some obscure loyalty or other compensational reasons”.
He said Mr Obama was an energetic, hyper-active, dynamic man with a vision, full of ideas, who wanted to think outside traditional boxes, as such, Ghana should send to Washington an equally vigorous, intellectually alert and action-oriented person like Mr Obama.
“Mr Obama has come to Ghana, has met with the President and the entire political leadership of Ghana as well as traditional, business, religious and civic leadership. Ghana now has a special place in his mind and heart as it had in the hearts of Mr and Mrs Clinton, now Secretary of State, when they visited Ghana in 1998 or Mr Bush when he visited Ghana last year, Dr spio-Garbrah who is also the Chief Executive Officer of the London-based Commonwealth Telecoms Organisation added.
Dr Spio-Garbrah, however, said that unlike Presidents Clinton and Bush who visited Ghana in their last year in office, Mr Obama visited Ghana within six months of being in office, therefore, there was a lot of room and time for Ghana to nurture such relationship to its fullest, whether Mr Obama serves for one term or two.
According to Dr Spio-Garbrah, Mr Obama’s speech at the Conference Centre made it quite clear that Ghana would receive strong support from the USA if it continued on the path of democracy, good governance, rule of law and human-centred economic growth, this showed that Mr Obama would like to help Ghana invest in its people and their health.
”If Ghana sends the wrong kind of person as Ambassador to Washington — such as a “sleeping Ambassador” — we would have wasted an opportunity of a lifetime,” he cautioned.
Dr Spio-Garbrah made it clear that having already served as an ambassador to the USA, the advice he was offering should not be construed as self-interested, as he was not seeking any diplomatic appointment within the Mills administration or even a return to the USA posting.
He noted that he was currently 55-years old and was recommending that the next Ghana’s ambassador to the USA should be less than 55-years old and therefore closer to Mr Obama’s age.
He noted that there was understandable scepticism in Ghana when in 1994,President Rawlings took him out of a career job at the African Development Bank and sent him to Washington as an Ambassador.
However, according to Spio-Garbrah, because he was not constrained by some traditional structures of bureaucratic behaviour, he was able to think somewhat differently from what a traditional diplomat or political appointee would have thought and acted.
“It was this kind of creativity that enabled me in 1995 to plan a unique visit to eight US cities by President and First Lady Rawlings with an entourage of some 40 people, which helped to lift Ghana’s image very high in the United States,”Dr Spio-Garbrah said.
He noted that for a good ambassador to succeed, such an individual must have a high degree of sensitivity to the needs and priorities of his own country as well as those of his host country.
He or she must have a great capacity for creativity, innovativeness, intellectual curiosity, a high energy level, and effective and persuasive communications skills.
According to him, the move had become even more urgent with the successful recent visit of US President Mr Barack Obama to the country.
Dr Spio-Garbrah who was Ghana’s Ambassador to the United States from 1994-97, expressed worry that although the names of some prospective ambassadorial candidates had appeared in the media, the absence of Ghanaian political ambassadors in such high-profile posts as London and Washington would make it difficult for the Mills government to obtain the fullest benefits out of visits paid by President Mills and a government delegation to London some two months ago, and the recent visit by Mr Obama.
He said contrary to some widely-held views that ambassadorial appointments were largely ceremonial positions, they were rather for serious international businesses, and that in the specific case of the United States, “Ghana would be making a sad mistake if it appointed a slow and dull individual for the purpose of pre- or post-retirement relaxation in Washington, or for reasons of some obscure loyalty or other compensational reasons”.
He said Mr Obama was an energetic, hyper-active, dynamic man with a vision, full of ideas, who wanted to think outside traditional boxes, as such, Ghana should send to Washington an equally vigorous, intellectually alert and action-oriented person like Mr Obama.
“Mr Obama has come to Ghana, has met with the President and the entire political leadership of Ghana as well as traditional, business, religious and civic leadership. Ghana now has a special place in his mind and heart as it had in the hearts of Mr and Mrs Clinton, now Secretary of State, when they visited Ghana in 1998 or Mr Bush when he visited Ghana last year, Dr spio-Garbrah who is also the Chief Executive Officer of the London-based Commonwealth Telecoms Organisation added.
Dr Spio-Garbrah, however, said that unlike Presidents Clinton and Bush who visited Ghana in their last year in office, Mr Obama visited Ghana within six months of being in office, therefore, there was a lot of room and time for Ghana to nurture such relationship to its fullest, whether Mr Obama serves for one term or two.
According to Dr Spio-Garbrah, Mr Obama’s speech at the Conference Centre made it quite clear that Ghana would receive strong support from the USA if it continued on the path of democracy, good governance, rule of law and human-centred economic growth, this showed that Mr Obama would like to help Ghana invest in its people and their health.
”If Ghana sends the wrong kind of person as Ambassador to Washington — such as a “sleeping Ambassador” — we would have wasted an opportunity of a lifetime,” he cautioned.
Dr Spio-Garbrah made it clear that having already served as an ambassador to the USA, the advice he was offering should not be construed as self-interested, as he was not seeking any diplomatic appointment within the Mills administration or even a return to the USA posting.
He noted that he was currently 55-years old and was recommending that the next Ghana’s ambassador to the USA should be less than 55-years old and therefore closer to Mr Obama’s age.
He noted that there was understandable scepticism in Ghana when in 1994,President Rawlings took him out of a career job at the African Development Bank and sent him to Washington as an Ambassador.
However, according to Spio-Garbrah, because he was not constrained by some traditional structures of bureaucratic behaviour, he was able to think somewhat differently from what a traditional diplomat or political appointee would have thought and acted.
“It was this kind of creativity that enabled me in 1995 to plan a unique visit to eight US cities by President and First Lady Rawlings with an entourage of some 40 people, which helped to lift Ghana’s image very high in the United States,”Dr Spio-Garbrah said.
He noted that for a good ambassador to succeed, such an individual must have a high degree of sensitivity to the needs and priorities of his own country as well as those of his host country.
He or she must have a great capacity for creativity, innovativeness, intellectual curiosity, a high energy level, and effective and persuasive communications skills.
Ghana can learn from Obama’s example — IEA
The Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA), an economic policy think tank, has urged Ghanaians, be motivated by the perseverance and hard work of US President Barack Obama to reach the highest point of democracy.
“Through hard work, persistence and determination, Barack Obama has been able to make history by becoming the first African-American President of the United States of America.”
Mrs Jean Mensa, the Administrator of the IEA, made the call on behalf of the institute in a welcoming statement issued in Accra on the eve of the arrival of the US President to the country for a two-day official visit.
She said although Ghana had made substantial gains in the area of democracy, particularly with the five successive elections since 1992, the country should strive to attain the heights the US had attained and also develop its economy to make life better for its people.
Mrs Mensa noted that if the modest gains made by the country in its democratic dispensation were being recognised by the international community as well as by visits by the US Presidents Clinton, Bush and Obama, then there should not be any room for Ghanaians to be complacent but strive to achieve greater heights since there was still a lot more to be done.
She described Ghana as the Mecca of African leaders, especially great Pan Africanists such as George Padmore, Patrice Lumumba and Robert Mugabe, among others and that it was right and proper that President Obama, being the first African-American President of the US to touch the soil where his fore bears did.
“It is not surprising that US Presidents Bill Clinton and George Bush Jnr came to Ghana, therefore it necessary for President Obama to also do same to register his name in the books of great Pan Africanists”.
Mrs Mensa noted that aside the pomp and pageantry, Ghana should take advantage of the opportunity to position itself well to ensure that the visit of President Obama became mutually beneficial to Ghana and the United States, adding that “we should use the excellent relations between the two countries over the years to develop our economy especially in the area of health, education and economy”.
“Through hard work, persistence and determination, Barack Obama has been able to make history by becoming the first African-American President of the United States of America.”
Mrs Jean Mensa, the Administrator of the IEA, made the call on behalf of the institute in a welcoming statement issued in Accra on the eve of the arrival of the US President to the country for a two-day official visit.
She said although Ghana had made substantial gains in the area of democracy, particularly with the five successive elections since 1992, the country should strive to attain the heights the US had attained and also develop its economy to make life better for its people.
Mrs Mensa noted that if the modest gains made by the country in its democratic dispensation were being recognised by the international community as well as by visits by the US Presidents Clinton, Bush and Obama, then there should not be any room for Ghanaians to be complacent but strive to achieve greater heights since there was still a lot more to be done.
She described Ghana as the Mecca of African leaders, especially great Pan Africanists such as George Padmore, Patrice Lumumba and Robert Mugabe, among others and that it was right and proper that President Obama, being the first African-American President of the US to touch the soil where his fore bears did.
“It is not surprising that US Presidents Bill Clinton and George Bush Jnr came to Ghana, therefore it necessary for President Obama to also do same to register his name in the books of great Pan Africanists”.
Mrs Mensa noted that aside the pomp and pageantry, Ghana should take advantage of the opportunity to position itself well to ensure that the visit of President Obama became mutually beneficial to Ghana and the United States, adding that “we should use the excellent relations between the two countries over the years to develop our economy especially in the area of health, education and economy”.
What the Political Parties say about the Obama Visit
The ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) describes the historic visit of President Barack Obama as the recognition of the culminative achievements in the area of democratic consolidation.
The party said after a successful second transition, from one political party in government to another, Ghana had become the toast of the world, hence the decision of President Obama to visit and interact with the people of Ghana.
Sharing the party’s perspective on the visit, the General Secretary, Mr Johnson Asiedu Nketiah, said President Obama’s visit would not mean anything to Ghanaians “if we do not work hard as a nation.”
He said apart from what the US President might offer the country, the international media spotlight from over 300 international media houses would be a good opportunity to market the country for both investment and tourism prospects.
He, however, said although a lot of benefits could accrue from the visit for Ghana, “this opportunity also calls on Ghanaians to exhibit its rich cultural heritage and its proverbial hospitality.”
“At the end of the day, our individual hard work is what would make us achieve the targets we set for ourselves,” he added.
(2) CONVENTION PEOPLE’S PARTY (CPP)
US President Barack Obama’s visit to Ghana is an opportunity to strengthen democratic ideals between the two nations.
According to the Convention People’s Party (CPP) just as President Obama has something to share and offer, Ghana and for that matter Africa, also has something to share with him on his visit.
Sharing the party’s view on President Obama’s visit to Ghana, the Chairman of the CPP, Mr Ladi Nylander, said “we are seeking a mutual beneficial relationship with him for the good of Ghana and the United States.”
More importantly, Mr Nylander said “we don’t see him as someone who is bringing a bundle of gift but an opportunity to deepen relations for the mutual benefit of the two countries.”
Mr Nylander said although his visit was short, Ghana was a unique country and there were things that would linger on the mind of President Obama long after he had left the shores of the country.
He expressed the conviction that Ghana’s democratic credentials and the visit to the Cape Coast Castle will leave a lasting impression on him.
By choosing to visit Ghana first, Mr Nylander said President Obama had demonstrated that Africa was his concern rather than Kenya where he hails from.
The CPP welcomes him and it is our hope that his experience will be such that Ghana will be on his mind.
He said the Democratic Party in the US, Labour Party in the United Kingdom and the Convention People’s Party shared similar thinkings and believed in the same principles.
We, therefore, see Obama as a brother who is coming home to inspire us.
Indeed, it gives true meaning to the statement by Osagyefo Dr Kwame Nkrumah that given the chance the “Black man is capable of managing his own affairs.”
(3) PEOPLE’S NATIONAL CONVENTION (PNC)
The visit of US President Barack Hussein Obama to Ghana is an indication of the international community, especially the USA’s, recognition of Ghana’s determined efforts at staying the path of multi-party democracy, the National Chairman of the People’s National Convention (PNC), Alhaji Ahmed Ramadan, has stated.
He said after the successful 2008 general elections, Ghanaians had once again proved to the entire world that in the midst of the chaotic situation in some parts of Africa, the country was once again setting the stage as pioneers.
Alhaji Ramadan who was sharing his party’s view on the visit urged Ghanaians to deepen the culture of tolerance, multi-party democracy and the little strides in the area of economic stability.
“Every Ghanaian should be proud of the achievements and the recognition chalked up over the years but we should not use the occasion to be begging for favours from the US President,” he added.
He said Ghana must be able to put on the table what it had in hand in exchange for what America had to offer, especially in the area of trade, education, health and technology.
According to Alhaji Ramadan, Ghana must use the opportunity of Obama’s visit to demand greater access to the US market for Ghanaian goods and services and the creation of the conducive environment for Ghana to benefit from the huge American market.
He said it was high time the country also discussed with the USA, which was one of the largest consumers of oil, the possibility of assisting the country to build at least one extra oil refinery and other factories that would enable the country to add value to its oil produce to create employment and wealth for its people.
(4) NEW PATRIOTIC PARTY (NPP)
US President Barrack Obama’s visit to Ghana is another feather in the cap of the nation for its achievement in the democratic dispensation started in 1992.
It is also another step in deepening the great, excellent and cordial relationship that has existed between these two countries over the years.
Nana Ohene Ntow, the General Secretary of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), has opined.
Giving the NPP’s view on the visit, he said Ghana was gradually becoming famous for its determination to entrench democratic practice.
He was hopeful that that the visit would open another opportunity for the US to support Ghana to entrench its democratic culture.
This, he said, could be done through technical support to improve various democratic institutions such as parliament, judiciary and the security agencies as well as advance the general atmosphere for the enjoyment of individual rights and freedoms.
He said Ghana, like the rest of the world, had been hit hard by economic challenges and expressed the hope that the US could do a lot to stabilise Ghana’s economy, especially through export, by expanding the spheres of fair trade and greater access for Ghanaian goods to the US market.
Nana Ntow said the recent treatment by the Mills Administration of officials of the Kufuor Administration was not the best, notably the manner such personalities were being harassed by security agencies.
He said such actions were a great dent on the image of the country, and that the basic human rights of their political opponents must be respected.
He commended President Obama for deciding to visit Ghana, and urged Ghanaians to offer the first African-American President a befitting welcome.
The party said after a successful second transition, from one political party in government to another, Ghana had become the toast of the world, hence the decision of President Obama to visit and interact with the people of Ghana.
Sharing the party’s perspective on the visit, the General Secretary, Mr Johnson Asiedu Nketiah, said President Obama’s visit would not mean anything to Ghanaians “if we do not work hard as a nation.”
He said apart from what the US President might offer the country, the international media spotlight from over 300 international media houses would be a good opportunity to market the country for both investment and tourism prospects.
He, however, said although a lot of benefits could accrue from the visit for Ghana, “this opportunity also calls on Ghanaians to exhibit its rich cultural heritage and its proverbial hospitality.”
“At the end of the day, our individual hard work is what would make us achieve the targets we set for ourselves,” he added.
(2) CONVENTION PEOPLE’S PARTY (CPP)
US President Barack Obama’s visit to Ghana is an opportunity to strengthen democratic ideals between the two nations.
According to the Convention People’s Party (CPP) just as President Obama has something to share and offer, Ghana and for that matter Africa, also has something to share with him on his visit.
Sharing the party’s view on President Obama’s visit to Ghana, the Chairman of the CPP, Mr Ladi Nylander, said “we are seeking a mutual beneficial relationship with him for the good of Ghana and the United States.”
More importantly, Mr Nylander said “we don’t see him as someone who is bringing a bundle of gift but an opportunity to deepen relations for the mutual benefit of the two countries.”
Mr Nylander said although his visit was short, Ghana was a unique country and there were things that would linger on the mind of President Obama long after he had left the shores of the country.
He expressed the conviction that Ghana’s democratic credentials and the visit to the Cape Coast Castle will leave a lasting impression on him.
By choosing to visit Ghana first, Mr Nylander said President Obama had demonstrated that Africa was his concern rather than Kenya where he hails from.
The CPP welcomes him and it is our hope that his experience will be such that Ghana will be on his mind.
He said the Democratic Party in the US, Labour Party in the United Kingdom and the Convention People’s Party shared similar thinkings and believed in the same principles.
We, therefore, see Obama as a brother who is coming home to inspire us.
Indeed, it gives true meaning to the statement by Osagyefo Dr Kwame Nkrumah that given the chance the “Black man is capable of managing his own affairs.”
(3) PEOPLE’S NATIONAL CONVENTION (PNC)
The visit of US President Barack Hussein Obama to Ghana is an indication of the international community, especially the USA’s, recognition of Ghana’s determined efforts at staying the path of multi-party democracy, the National Chairman of the People’s National Convention (PNC), Alhaji Ahmed Ramadan, has stated.
He said after the successful 2008 general elections, Ghanaians had once again proved to the entire world that in the midst of the chaotic situation in some parts of Africa, the country was once again setting the stage as pioneers.
Alhaji Ramadan who was sharing his party’s view on the visit urged Ghanaians to deepen the culture of tolerance, multi-party democracy and the little strides in the area of economic stability.
“Every Ghanaian should be proud of the achievements and the recognition chalked up over the years but we should not use the occasion to be begging for favours from the US President,” he added.
He said Ghana must be able to put on the table what it had in hand in exchange for what America had to offer, especially in the area of trade, education, health and technology.
According to Alhaji Ramadan, Ghana must use the opportunity of Obama’s visit to demand greater access to the US market for Ghanaian goods and services and the creation of the conducive environment for Ghana to benefit from the huge American market.
He said it was high time the country also discussed with the USA, which was one of the largest consumers of oil, the possibility of assisting the country to build at least one extra oil refinery and other factories that would enable the country to add value to its oil produce to create employment and wealth for its people.
(4) NEW PATRIOTIC PARTY (NPP)
US President Barrack Obama’s visit to Ghana is another feather in the cap of the nation for its achievement in the democratic dispensation started in 1992.
It is also another step in deepening the great, excellent and cordial relationship that has existed between these two countries over the years.
Nana Ohene Ntow, the General Secretary of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), has opined.
Giving the NPP’s view on the visit, he said Ghana was gradually becoming famous for its determination to entrench democratic practice.
He was hopeful that that the visit would open another opportunity for the US to support Ghana to entrench its democratic culture.
This, he said, could be done through technical support to improve various democratic institutions such as parliament, judiciary and the security agencies as well as advance the general atmosphere for the enjoyment of individual rights and freedoms.
He said Ghana, like the rest of the world, had been hit hard by economic challenges and expressed the hope that the US could do a lot to stabilise Ghana’s economy, especially through export, by expanding the spheres of fair trade and greater access for Ghanaian goods to the US market.
Nana Ntow said the recent treatment by the Mills Administration of officials of the Kufuor Administration was not the best, notably the manner such personalities were being harassed by security agencies.
He said such actions were a great dent on the image of the country, and that the basic human rights of their political opponents must be respected.
He commended President Obama for deciding to visit Ghana, and urged Ghanaians to offer the first African-American President a befitting welcome.
Investigate allocation of tractors, equipment — PNF
Progressive Nationalists Forum (PNF), a pressure group, has called on President J. E. A. Mills to institute a Presidential Commission to investigate the allocation of tractors and equipment procured under the Kufuor Administration for sale at subsidised prices to underprivileged farmers across the country.
It said information at its disposal indicated that the tractors, which were meant to boost food production and security, were being abused ,especially by “some members of the government in both the executive and the legislature who are obviously not underprivileged farmers”.
The spokesperson for the group, Mr Richard Niamey, who stated this at the press conference in Accra yesterday commended the Mills Administration for expressing its willingness to embark on probity, accountability and justice on assumption of office.
“There is a clear abuse of office and conflict of interest in the allocation of these tractors to government functionaries, who are not underprivileged farmers at such ridiculously low prices,” he said.
He cited one alleged situation where Mr Mahama Ayariga, Spokesperson for President J.E.A. Mills, secured five of the tractors, valued at a total sum of GH¢ 90,000.00, but had paid GH¢ 10,000.00 out of the initial GH¢ 50,000.00 mandatory down payment deposit for the five tractors.
“Granted that he paid GH¢ 10,000.00 there is a shortfall of GH¢ 40,000.00. Evidence at our disposal shows that he paid GH¢ 1,000.00 and not GH¢ 10,000.00 as he claims. Meanwhile the underprivileged farmers who have not been able to make the GH¢ 10,000.00 down payment per tractor have had their tractors reallocated”.
Mr Nyamah again alleged that other high ranking officials of the government who were not poor farmers and therefore not qualified but had been allocated the tractors were Mr Alban Sumani Bagbin, Majority Leader and Alhaji Ibrahim Dey Abubakari, MP, among others.
He said the forum was also demanding that pending the outcome of the Presidential Commission, Mr Ayariga and the Minister of Agriculture should step down to avoid interference into the probe, the publication of the list of people who have received these allocations of the tractors as well as how much down payments have so far been made by each recipient and how much is left to be paid.
He said the forum was also worried about the issue of state vehicles bought by former ministers of the Kufuor Administration, because some members of the current government were beneficiaries.
“For example Mr Bagbin bought a Toyota Camry which was less than two years old but his has not been confiscated by the state as was done to other members of Parliament. We wish that the laws be equitably implemented and also seek an explanation from the Minister of Information as to why this is so,” Mr Nyamah.
He said just as the government was doing with the Ghana Telecom-Vodafon deal, PNF was of the view that President Mills must also institute commission of inquiries to investigate all diversified state owned assets since 1989 to date.
“We know that 59 state owned enterprises were diversified or sold between 1989 and 1992, 245 between 1993 and 2000 and 59 diversified between 2001 and 2008.”, he added.
He said Ghanaians would want to know those who bought those state owned enterprises, for how much and how was the money from the sales disbursed.
It said information at its disposal indicated that the tractors, which were meant to boost food production and security, were being abused ,especially by “some members of the government in both the executive and the legislature who are obviously not underprivileged farmers”.
The spokesperson for the group, Mr Richard Niamey, who stated this at the press conference in Accra yesterday commended the Mills Administration for expressing its willingness to embark on probity, accountability and justice on assumption of office.
“There is a clear abuse of office and conflict of interest in the allocation of these tractors to government functionaries, who are not underprivileged farmers at such ridiculously low prices,” he said.
He cited one alleged situation where Mr Mahama Ayariga, Spokesperson for President J.E.A. Mills, secured five of the tractors, valued at a total sum of GH¢ 90,000.00, but had paid GH¢ 10,000.00 out of the initial GH¢ 50,000.00 mandatory down payment deposit for the five tractors.
“Granted that he paid GH¢ 10,000.00 there is a shortfall of GH¢ 40,000.00. Evidence at our disposal shows that he paid GH¢ 1,000.00 and not GH¢ 10,000.00 as he claims. Meanwhile the underprivileged farmers who have not been able to make the GH¢ 10,000.00 down payment per tractor have had their tractors reallocated”.
Mr Nyamah again alleged that other high ranking officials of the government who were not poor farmers and therefore not qualified but had been allocated the tractors were Mr Alban Sumani Bagbin, Majority Leader and Alhaji Ibrahim Dey Abubakari, MP, among others.
He said the forum was also demanding that pending the outcome of the Presidential Commission, Mr Ayariga and the Minister of Agriculture should step down to avoid interference into the probe, the publication of the list of people who have received these allocations of the tractors as well as how much down payments have so far been made by each recipient and how much is left to be paid.
He said the forum was also worried about the issue of state vehicles bought by former ministers of the Kufuor Administration, because some members of the current government were beneficiaries.
“For example Mr Bagbin bought a Toyota Camry which was less than two years old but his has not been confiscated by the state as was done to other members of Parliament. We wish that the laws be equitably implemented and also seek an explanation from the Minister of Information as to why this is so,” Mr Nyamah.
He said just as the government was doing with the Ghana Telecom-Vodafon deal, PNF was of the view that President Mills must also institute commission of inquiries to investigate all diversified state owned assets since 1989 to date.
“We know that 59 state owned enterprises were diversified or sold between 1989 and 1992, 245 between 1993 and 2000 and 59 diversified between 2001 and 2008.”, he added.
He said Ghanaians would want to know those who bought those state owned enterprises, for how much and how was the money from the sales disbursed.
‘Intense competition impacts on women in politics’
THE Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA), a public policy institute, has attributed the low participation of women in politics to the increasing competitive nature of elections and the anxiety of political parties to ensure that they win the maximum number of seats in parliamentary elections.
It said Ghana’s elections, since 1992 and its outcome, had shown that the elections, especially the primaries for the selection of candidates, had increasingly become competitive, and that “political parties have grown increasingly anxious to ensure that they win a maximum number of seats in Parliament.”
Brigadier General Francis Agyemfra (retd), a Senior Fellow of the IEA, who stated this at the opening of a three-day workshop on “Political parties’ strategy for developing female candidates,” expressed worry that despite the fact that political parties always indicated in their manifestos their support for women, they, however, concentrated their attention on putting up only the strongest female candidates.
The workshop was organised by the IEA, with the support of the Canadian High Commission to Ghana. It was attended by both male and female leading members of political parties with representation in Parliament.
“Unfortunately, despite calls from civil society and our development partners for increased women’s participation in governance roles, the focus of our political parties has remained on fielding the strongest female candidates and not on increasing the numbers of female candidates,” Brigadier General Agyemfra said.
According to him, that had made the efforts of gender activists, women’s rights movement and development partners yield no results in increasing female participation.
He said it was a welcome news that political parties had acknowledged the need for increased number of females in political roles, and had indicated their readiness to support women to stand for elections.
It said Ghana’s elections, since 1992 and its outcome, had shown that the elections, especially the primaries for the selection of candidates, had increasingly become competitive, and that “political parties have grown increasingly anxious to ensure that they win a maximum number of seats in Parliament.”
Brigadier General Francis Agyemfra (retd), a Senior Fellow of the IEA, who stated this at the opening of a three-day workshop on “Political parties’ strategy for developing female candidates,” expressed worry that despite the fact that political parties always indicated in their manifestos their support for women, they, however, concentrated their attention on putting up only the strongest female candidates.
The workshop was organised by the IEA, with the support of the Canadian High Commission to Ghana. It was attended by both male and female leading members of political parties with representation in Parliament.
“Unfortunately, despite calls from civil society and our development partners for increased women’s participation in governance roles, the focus of our political parties has remained on fielding the strongest female candidates and not on increasing the numbers of female candidates,” Brigadier General Agyemfra said.
According to him, that had made the efforts of gender activists, women’s rights movement and development partners yield no results in increasing female participation.
He said it was a welcome news that political parties had acknowledged the need for increased number of females in political roles, and had indicated their readiness to support women to stand for elections.
Political parties call for 30 per cent rep of women
Political parties with representation in Parliament have called for the establishment of a voluntary quota of 30 per cent positions for women in the administration of political parties, the selection of parliamentary candidates and the appointment of district chief executives.
They have also called for special measures by the Executive in the short term to initiate and support the passage of specific legislation on a mandatory quota system in the medium to long term.
The parties, comprising the National Democratic Congress (NDC), the New Patriotic Party (NPP), the Convention People’s Party (CPP) and the People’s National Convention (PNC), made the call in a communiqué they adopted at the end of a three-day workshop at Akosombo last Sunday.
Representatives of the parties who signed the communiqué were Mr Hudu Yahaya, the Vice-Chairman of the NDC; Mrs Agnes Okudjeto, the First Vice-Chairperson of the NPP; Ms Araba Bentsi-Enchill, the Second Vice-Chairperson of the CPP, and Alhaji Ahmed Ramadan, the Chairman of the PNC.
The communiqué was also signed by Brigadier-General Francis A. Agyemfra (retd), Senior Fellow of the Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA).
The workshop was organised by the IEA, with the support of the Canadian High Commission, on the theme, “Political parties’ strategy for developing female candidates for primary and national elections”.
The parties said the implementation of the quota for women formed part of the affirmative action to address the imbalances in representation at the different levels of the political spectrum.
According to the communiqué, the measures to be taken by the executive must “support the allocation of at least 10 per cent of public funding of political parties as incentive to political parties which select a minimum of 30 per cent of women parliamentary candidates and that such support should be given directly to the women candidates”.
It said there was the need “to explore the possibility of public funding for independent women candidates and identify a minimum of 20 potential women candidates by each political party each year and mentor them for leadership positions, in collaboration with civil society organisations”.
It further called for the setting up of political and democracy study groups within the various political parties to educate their members on their ideologies, policy directions and national issues and to intensify advocacy on the critical role of women in our society.
The participants also underscored the need for collaboration between the political parties and civil society organisations to strengthen the capacity of political parties on gender issues.
They also pledged to secure the commitment of their political parties to the implementation of those resolutions and develop an action plan for broader consultation and realisation of those commitments.
According to them, they came up with the demands because despite sustained advocacy for the inclusion of more women in decision making, women still lagged behind in representation in the mainstream political decision-making process.
They said they were also disappointed at the decrease in the number of women who won their seats in the 2008 parliamentary elections.
According to the participants, they were aggrieved by the numerous barriers to women’s effective participation in politics and governance, such as finances, culture, religion and family responsibilities.
However, they said they were encouraged by the unanimous acknowledgement by political parties of the critical importance of women’s rights issues in the democratisation process.
They said they were determined to increase significantly the number of women contestants who got elected in order to correct the social imbalance and in compliance with international conventions on the equal representation of women and men in public life.
They have also called for special measures by the Executive in the short term to initiate and support the passage of specific legislation on a mandatory quota system in the medium to long term.
The parties, comprising the National Democratic Congress (NDC), the New Patriotic Party (NPP), the Convention People’s Party (CPP) and the People’s National Convention (PNC), made the call in a communiqué they adopted at the end of a three-day workshop at Akosombo last Sunday.
Representatives of the parties who signed the communiqué were Mr Hudu Yahaya, the Vice-Chairman of the NDC; Mrs Agnes Okudjeto, the First Vice-Chairperson of the NPP; Ms Araba Bentsi-Enchill, the Second Vice-Chairperson of the CPP, and Alhaji Ahmed Ramadan, the Chairman of the PNC.
The communiqué was also signed by Brigadier-General Francis A. Agyemfra (retd), Senior Fellow of the Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA).
The workshop was organised by the IEA, with the support of the Canadian High Commission, on the theme, “Political parties’ strategy for developing female candidates for primary and national elections”.
The parties said the implementation of the quota for women formed part of the affirmative action to address the imbalances in representation at the different levels of the political spectrum.
According to the communiqué, the measures to be taken by the executive must “support the allocation of at least 10 per cent of public funding of political parties as incentive to political parties which select a minimum of 30 per cent of women parliamentary candidates and that such support should be given directly to the women candidates”.
It said there was the need “to explore the possibility of public funding for independent women candidates and identify a minimum of 20 potential women candidates by each political party each year and mentor them for leadership positions, in collaboration with civil society organisations”.
It further called for the setting up of political and democracy study groups within the various political parties to educate their members on their ideologies, policy directions and national issues and to intensify advocacy on the critical role of women in our society.
The participants also underscored the need for collaboration between the political parties and civil society organisations to strengthen the capacity of political parties on gender issues.
They also pledged to secure the commitment of their political parties to the implementation of those resolutions and develop an action plan for broader consultation and realisation of those commitments.
According to them, they came up with the demands because despite sustained advocacy for the inclusion of more women in decision making, women still lagged behind in representation in the mainstream political decision-making process.
They said they were also disappointed at the decrease in the number of women who won their seats in the 2008 parliamentary elections.
According to the participants, they were aggrieved by the numerous barriers to women’s effective participation in politics and governance, such as finances, culture, religion and family responsibilities.
However, they said they were encouraged by the unanimous acknowledgement by political parties of the critical importance of women’s rights issues in the democratisation process.
They said they were determined to increase significantly the number of women contestants who got elected in order to correct the social imbalance and in compliance with international conventions on the equal representation of women and men in public life.
AFAG not given up on demonstration
Alliance for Accountable Governance (AFAG), a pressure group, has not given up its intended demonstration to protest against deteriorating living conditions and the disregard for rule of law in the country.
At a press conference in Accra yesterday it disclosed that it would soon communicate to the police and the general public when it will embark on the intended demonstration.
It said although the President had intervened despite a court order restraining them from undertaking the demonstration, they would not heed the President’s intervention because it amounted to subversion of the Constitution.
Mr Godfred Dame, Head of Legal Affairs of AFAG, who disclosed this at the press conference described the President’s call on the police to provide demonstrators with protection to embark on their demonstration as amounting to trying to gain political capital “even at the real risk of subverting the Constitution and the rule of law.”
Explaining why the alliance was calling the President’s action as an act of subversion, he explained that as required by law, the alliance duly notified the police of its intention to embark on demonstration on July 2, 2009, but the police came up with a litany of excuses to prohibit it from exercising their constitutional rights.
He said on June 26, 2009 the Attorney General sought an ex part motion order at a High Court, restraining AFAG from demonstrating.
He added that, however, on the afternoon of the same day, the President through the Ministry of Information, called on the police to protect the protesters even though a court had restrained the AFAG from demonstrating.
Mr Dame commended the President for the directive but said “we would respectively like to point out that what the President purported to do is completely unlawful and has the propensity to undermine the spirit and letter of the Constitution”.
“We seriously deprecate the attempt by his Excellency the President to reserve unto himself the prerogative of either approving or disapproving the exercise of a citizen’s fundamental human rights which is an inalienable rights and specifically enshrined in the Constitution”, he added.
He explained that the effect of what the President had done was that he had rendered the exercise of a citizen’s rights subject to his pleasure, fiat or official permission.
According to Mr Dame, the alliance had now found an explanation to the recent arbitrary arrest, curtailment of citizen’s freedom of movement and other fundamental human rights, because “the pleasure of the President is what dictates whether a citizen can exercise these fundamental human rights or not”.
He said as law abiding citizens, members of the alliance had faith in the rule of law and due process and would consequently respect the orders of a court of competent jurisdiction.
A member of the group, Ms Frances Asiam, expressed worry that the President who was briefed daily about the security situation in the country would act as if he did not know that his principal legal advisor, the Attorney General, had sought a court order to restrain the members of the alliance from embarking on demonstration.
At a press conference in Accra yesterday it disclosed that it would soon communicate to the police and the general public when it will embark on the intended demonstration.
It said although the President had intervened despite a court order restraining them from undertaking the demonstration, they would not heed the President’s intervention because it amounted to subversion of the Constitution.
Mr Godfred Dame, Head of Legal Affairs of AFAG, who disclosed this at the press conference described the President’s call on the police to provide demonstrators with protection to embark on their demonstration as amounting to trying to gain political capital “even at the real risk of subverting the Constitution and the rule of law.”
Explaining why the alliance was calling the President’s action as an act of subversion, he explained that as required by law, the alliance duly notified the police of its intention to embark on demonstration on July 2, 2009, but the police came up with a litany of excuses to prohibit it from exercising their constitutional rights.
He said on June 26, 2009 the Attorney General sought an ex part motion order at a High Court, restraining AFAG from demonstrating.
He added that, however, on the afternoon of the same day, the President through the Ministry of Information, called on the police to protect the protesters even though a court had restrained the AFAG from demonstrating.
Mr Dame commended the President for the directive but said “we would respectively like to point out that what the President purported to do is completely unlawful and has the propensity to undermine the spirit and letter of the Constitution”.
“We seriously deprecate the attempt by his Excellency the President to reserve unto himself the prerogative of either approving or disapproving the exercise of a citizen’s fundamental human rights which is an inalienable rights and specifically enshrined in the Constitution”, he added.
He explained that the effect of what the President had done was that he had rendered the exercise of a citizen’s rights subject to his pleasure, fiat or official permission.
According to Mr Dame, the alliance had now found an explanation to the recent arbitrary arrest, curtailment of citizen’s freedom of movement and other fundamental human rights, because “the pleasure of the President is what dictates whether a citizen can exercise these fundamental human rights or not”.
He said as law abiding citizens, members of the alliance had faith in the rule of law and due process and would consequently respect the orders of a court of competent jurisdiction.
A member of the group, Ms Frances Asiam, expressed worry that the President who was briefed daily about the security situation in the country would act as if he did not know that his principal legal advisor, the Attorney General, had sought a court order to restrain the members of the alliance from embarking on demonstration.
Women express frustration at elections
Some women who had participated in primaries for the selection of candidates for parliamentary elections have expressed their frustrations at the impediments they had to encounter in order to go through such male dominated processes.
Sharing their personal experiences at the three-day workshop on “Political Parties Strategy for developing Female Candidates,” organised by the Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA), they were of the view that if obstacles had not been put in their way their performance would have been better.
According to them the hurdles included limited finance, intimidation, religious and cultural beliefs, lack of support from other women, bias on the part of the Electoral Commission (EC) officials and the general belief that women should not be made leaders.
Ms Barbara Asamoah, who had stood on the ticket of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) in the Offinso Constituency for 2000, 2004 and 2008 elections, said during her campaign voters, especially females, made it clear to her that although she was the best candidate, they would prefer a male candidate because he (male candidate )could offer better support.
“I was shocked to hear from women groups that if they voted for me, they would not be able to ask for money from me or take me as their boyfriend. And that was the reason why they did not vote for me,” she said.
She also expressed worry that although there were a lot of non-governmental organisations (NGOs) offering support for women candidates, none of them came to her aid throughout the three elections she participated in.
She said although she did not want to impute political motive for such lack of support, she was of the view that the NGOs concentrated their actions in certain areas, thereby depriving some women of very vital support.
Ms Rhodalyn Ayarna who contested the Bawku Central seat on the ticket of the People’s National Convention (PNC) in the 2008 elections said there was an overwhelming support from the women for her, but they disclosed to her later that they had been warned by some elders not to vote for a female candidate.
She said surprisingly, some of the chiefs and elders visited her at night and told her that there was no way a woman could be allowed to lead Bawku Central in Parliament.
She also blamed electoral officers for her defeat, adding that they also associated themselves with the cultural and religious believe that women could not be leaders, and therefore gave her wrong days for all meetings, depriving her of the chance to go to Parliament.
Ms Ayarna was of the view that she would have been the best Member of Parliament (MP) for the area, especially in ensuring that there was peace, “because it was clear that the problem of the area was being fanned by leaders of some political parties”.
Mrs Gloria Ofori Buadu, who contested the New Patriotic Party (NPP) primary for Akyem-Abuakwa South slot, said she was surprised that women who were supposed to be her campaign managers abandoned her because they were of the view that she could not give them money like her male counterparts would do.
She said they told her that because she was seen as an educated person, most of the women felt that she was of a higher class and therefore could not support her cause.
Mrs Buadu noted that most of the women held the notion that they would be better off under a male MP, hence their unflinching support for male counterparts.
Dr Rose Mensah-Kutin of ABANTU for Development, responding to claims that the NGOs limited their support for some selected female candidates, urged the female candidates to try and market themselves because it was always difficult to locate all such women in the country.
Ms Ursula Owusu, a legal and gender consultant, said deliberate support, especially through legislation, had proved to be a great catalyst for increasing the number of women entering Parliament.
She said in 1957 when the then President, Dr Kwame Nkrumah, realised that there was no woman in parliament, he passed the Representation of People’s Act (Women Members) in 1960 which allowed for the selection of 10 women into Parliament.
She described the move as the first ever affirmative action policy which introduced the quota system and this miraculously resulted in encouraging nine more women to contest competitive elections, winning to join their 10 counterparts selected through the affirmative action.
Ms Ursula gave the statistics of the female numbers in the Fourth Republican Parliament as 1992; 15, representing eight per cent; 1996, 19 females, representing nine per cent; 2000, 18, representing 9.5 per cent; 2004, 25 females, representing 10.9 per cent and 2008, 20 females, representing a reduction to 8.7 per cent.
Sharing their personal experiences at the three-day workshop on “Political Parties Strategy for developing Female Candidates,” organised by the Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA), they were of the view that if obstacles had not been put in their way their performance would have been better.
According to them the hurdles included limited finance, intimidation, religious and cultural beliefs, lack of support from other women, bias on the part of the Electoral Commission (EC) officials and the general belief that women should not be made leaders.
Ms Barbara Asamoah, who had stood on the ticket of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) in the Offinso Constituency for 2000, 2004 and 2008 elections, said during her campaign voters, especially females, made it clear to her that although she was the best candidate, they would prefer a male candidate because he (male candidate )could offer better support.
“I was shocked to hear from women groups that if they voted for me, they would not be able to ask for money from me or take me as their boyfriend. And that was the reason why they did not vote for me,” she said.
She also expressed worry that although there were a lot of non-governmental organisations (NGOs) offering support for women candidates, none of them came to her aid throughout the three elections she participated in.
She said although she did not want to impute political motive for such lack of support, she was of the view that the NGOs concentrated their actions in certain areas, thereby depriving some women of very vital support.
Ms Rhodalyn Ayarna who contested the Bawku Central seat on the ticket of the People’s National Convention (PNC) in the 2008 elections said there was an overwhelming support from the women for her, but they disclosed to her later that they had been warned by some elders not to vote for a female candidate.
She said surprisingly, some of the chiefs and elders visited her at night and told her that there was no way a woman could be allowed to lead Bawku Central in Parliament.
She also blamed electoral officers for her defeat, adding that they also associated themselves with the cultural and religious believe that women could not be leaders, and therefore gave her wrong days for all meetings, depriving her of the chance to go to Parliament.
Ms Ayarna was of the view that she would have been the best Member of Parliament (MP) for the area, especially in ensuring that there was peace, “because it was clear that the problem of the area was being fanned by leaders of some political parties”.
Mrs Gloria Ofori Buadu, who contested the New Patriotic Party (NPP) primary for Akyem-Abuakwa South slot, said she was surprised that women who were supposed to be her campaign managers abandoned her because they were of the view that she could not give them money like her male counterparts would do.
She said they told her that because she was seen as an educated person, most of the women felt that she was of a higher class and therefore could not support her cause.
Mrs Buadu noted that most of the women held the notion that they would be better off under a male MP, hence their unflinching support for male counterparts.
Dr Rose Mensah-Kutin of ABANTU for Development, responding to claims that the NGOs limited their support for some selected female candidates, urged the female candidates to try and market themselves because it was always difficult to locate all such women in the country.
Ms Ursula Owusu, a legal and gender consultant, said deliberate support, especially through legislation, had proved to be a great catalyst for increasing the number of women entering Parliament.
She said in 1957 when the then President, Dr Kwame Nkrumah, realised that there was no woman in parliament, he passed the Representation of People’s Act (Women Members) in 1960 which allowed for the selection of 10 women into Parliament.
She described the move as the first ever affirmative action policy which introduced the quota system and this miraculously resulted in encouraging nine more women to contest competitive elections, winning to join their 10 counterparts selected through the affirmative action.
Ms Ursula gave the statistics of the female numbers in the Fourth Republican Parliament as 1992; 15, representing eight per cent; 1996, 19 females, representing nine per cent; 2000, 18, representing 9.5 per cent; 2004, 25 females, representing 10.9 per cent and 2008, 20 females, representing a reduction to 8.7 per cent.
Women express frustration at elections
Some women who had participated in primaries for the selection of candidates for parliamentary elections have expressed their frustrations at the impediments they had to encounter in order to go through such male dominated processes.
Sharing their personal experiences at the three-day workshop on “Political Parties Strategy for developing Female Candidates,” organised by the Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA), they were of the view that if obstacles had not been put in their way their performance would have been better.
According to them the hurdles included limited finance, intimidation, religious and cultural beliefs, lack of support from other women, bias on the part of the Electoral Commission (EC) officials and the general belief that women should not be made leaders.
Ms Barbara Asamoah, who had stood on the ticket of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) in the Offinso Constituency for 2000, 2004 and 2008 elections, said during her campaign voters, especially females, made it clear to her that although she was the best candidate, they would prefer a male candidate because he (male candidate )could offer better support.
“I was shocked to hear from women groups that if they voted for me, they would not be able to ask for money from me or take me as their boyfriend. And that was the reason why they did not vote for me,” she said.
She also expressed worry that although there were a lot of non-governmental organisations (NGOs) offering support for women candidates, none of them came to her aid throughout the three elections she participated in.
She said although she did not want to impute political motive for such lack of support, she was of the view that the NGOs concentrated their actions in certain areas, thereby depriving some women of very vital support.
Ms Rhodalyn Ayarna who contested the Bawku Central seat on the ticket of the People’s National Convention (PNC) in the 2008 elections said there was an overwhelming support from the women for her, but they disclosed to her later that they had been warned by some elders not to vote for a female candidate.
She said surprisingly, some of the chiefs and elders visited her at night and told her that there was no way a woman could be allowed to lead Bawku Central in Parliament.
She also blamed electoral officers for her defeat, adding that they also associated themselves with the cultural and religious believe that women could not be leaders, and therefore gave her wrong days for all meetings, depriving her of the chance to go to Parliament.
Ms Ayarna was of the view that she would have been the best Member of Parliament (MP) for the area, especially in ensuring that there was peace, “because it was clear that the problem of the area was being fanned by leaders of some political parties”.
Mrs Gloria Ofori Buadu, who contested the New Patriotic Party (NPP) primary for Akyem-Abuakwa South slot, said she was surprised that women who were supposed to be her campaign managers abandoned her because they were of the view that she could not give them money like her male counterparts would do.
She said they told her that because she was seen as an educated person, most of the women felt that she was of a higher class and therefore could not support her cause.
Mrs Buadu noted that most of the women held the notion that they would be better off under a male MP, hence their unflinching support for male counterparts.
Dr Rose Mensah-Kutin of ABANTU for Development, responding to claims that the NGOs limited their support for some selected female candidates, urged the female candidates to try and market themselves because it was always difficult to locate all such women in the country.
Ms Ursula Owusu, a legal and gender consultant, said deliberate support, especially through legislation, had proved to be a great catalyst for increasing the number of women entering Parliament.
She said in 1957 when the then President, Dr Kwame Nkrumah, realised that there was no woman in parliament, he passed the Representation of People’s Act (Women Members) in 1960 which allowed for the selection of 10 women into Parliament.
She described the move as the first ever affirmative action policy which introduced the quota system and this miraculously resulted in encouraging nine more women to contest competitive elections, winning to join their 10 counterparts selected through the affirmative action.
Ms Ursula gave the statistics of the female numbers in the Fourth Republican Parliament as 1992; 15, representing eight per cent; 1996, 19 females, representing nine per cent; 2000, 18, representing 9.5 per cent; 2004, 25 females, representing 10.9 per cent and 2008, 20 females, representing a reduction to 8.7 per cent.
Sharing their personal experiences at the three-day workshop on “Political Parties Strategy for developing Female Candidates,” organised by the Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA), they were of the view that if obstacles had not been put in their way their performance would have been better.
According to them the hurdles included limited finance, intimidation, religious and cultural beliefs, lack of support from other women, bias on the part of the Electoral Commission (EC) officials and the general belief that women should not be made leaders.
Ms Barbara Asamoah, who had stood on the ticket of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) in the Offinso Constituency for 2000, 2004 and 2008 elections, said during her campaign voters, especially females, made it clear to her that although she was the best candidate, they would prefer a male candidate because he (male candidate )could offer better support.
“I was shocked to hear from women groups that if they voted for me, they would not be able to ask for money from me or take me as their boyfriend. And that was the reason why they did not vote for me,” she said.
She also expressed worry that although there were a lot of non-governmental organisations (NGOs) offering support for women candidates, none of them came to her aid throughout the three elections she participated in.
She said although she did not want to impute political motive for such lack of support, she was of the view that the NGOs concentrated their actions in certain areas, thereby depriving some women of very vital support.
Ms Rhodalyn Ayarna who contested the Bawku Central seat on the ticket of the People’s National Convention (PNC) in the 2008 elections said there was an overwhelming support from the women for her, but they disclosed to her later that they had been warned by some elders not to vote for a female candidate.
She said surprisingly, some of the chiefs and elders visited her at night and told her that there was no way a woman could be allowed to lead Bawku Central in Parliament.
She also blamed electoral officers for her defeat, adding that they also associated themselves with the cultural and religious believe that women could not be leaders, and therefore gave her wrong days for all meetings, depriving her of the chance to go to Parliament.
Ms Ayarna was of the view that she would have been the best Member of Parliament (MP) for the area, especially in ensuring that there was peace, “because it was clear that the problem of the area was being fanned by leaders of some political parties”.
Mrs Gloria Ofori Buadu, who contested the New Patriotic Party (NPP) primary for Akyem-Abuakwa South slot, said she was surprised that women who were supposed to be her campaign managers abandoned her because they were of the view that she could not give them money like her male counterparts would do.
She said they told her that because she was seen as an educated person, most of the women felt that she was of a higher class and therefore could not support her cause.
Mrs Buadu noted that most of the women held the notion that they would be better off under a male MP, hence their unflinching support for male counterparts.
Dr Rose Mensah-Kutin of ABANTU for Development, responding to claims that the NGOs limited their support for some selected female candidates, urged the female candidates to try and market themselves because it was always difficult to locate all such women in the country.
Ms Ursula Owusu, a legal and gender consultant, said deliberate support, especially through legislation, had proved to be a great catalyst for increasing the number of women entering Parliament.
She said in 1957 when the then President, Dr Kwame Nkrumah, realised that there was no woman in parliament, he passed the Representation of People’s Act (Women Members) in 1960 which allowed for the selection of 10 women into Parliament.
She described the move as the first ever affirmative action policy which introduced the quota system and this miraculously resulted in encouraging nine more women to contest competitive elections, winning to join their 10 counterparts selected through the affirmative action.
Ms Ursula gave the statistics of the female numbers in the Fourth Republican Parliament as 1992; 15, representing eight per cent; 1996, 19 females, representing nine per cent; 2000, 18, representing 9.5 per cent; 2004, 25 females, representing 10.9 per cent and 2008, 20 females, representing a reduction to 8.7 per cent.
Women express frustration at elections
Some women who had participated in primaries for the selection of candidates for parliamentary elections have expressed their frustrations at the impediments they had to encounter in order to go through such male dominated processes.
Sharing their personal experiences at the three-day workshop on “Political Parties Strategy for developing Female Candidates,” organised by the Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA), they were of the view that if obstacles had not been put in their way their performance would have been better.
According to them the hurdles included limited finance, intimidation, religious and cultural beliefs, lack of support from other women, bias on the part of the Electoral Commission (EC) officials and the general belief that women should not be made leaders.
Ms Barbara Asamoah, who had stood on the ticket of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) in the Offinso Constituency for 2000, 2004 and 2008 elections, said during her campaign voters, especially females, made it clear to her that although she was the best candidate, they would prefer a male candidate because he (male candidate )could offer better support.
“I was shocked to hear from women groups that if they voted for me, they would not be able to ask for money from me or take me as their boyfriend. And that was the reason why they did not vote for me,” she said.
She also expressed worry that although there were a lot of non-governmental organisations (NGOs) offering support for women candidates, none of them came to her aid throughout the three elections she participated in.
She said although she did not want to impute political motive for such lack of support, she was of the view that the NGOs concentrated their actions in certain areas, thereby depriving some women of very vital support.
Ms Rhodalyn Ayarna who contested the Bawku Central seat on the ticket of the People’s National Convention (PNC) in the 2008 elections said there was an overwhelming support from the women for her, but they disclosed to her later that they had been warned by some elders not to vote for a female candidate.
She said surprisingly, some of the chiefs and elders visited her at night and told her that there was no way a woman could be allowed to lead Bawku Central in Parliament.
She also blamed electoral officers for her defeat, adding that they also associated themselves with the cultural and religious believe that women could not be leaders, and therefore gave her wrong days for all meetings, depriving her of the chance to go to Parliament.
Ms Ayarna was of the view that she would have been the best Member of Parliament (MP) for the area, especially in ensuring that there was peace, “because it was clear that the problem of the area was being fanned by leaders of some political parties”.
Mrs Gloria Ofori Buadu, who contested the New Patriotic Party (NPP) primary for Akyem-Abuakwa South slot, said she was surprised that women who were supposed to be her campaign managers abandoned her because they were of the view that she could not give them money like her male counterparts would do.
She said they told her that because she was seen as an educated person, most of the women felt that she was of a higher class and therefore could not support her cause.
Mrs Buadu noted that most of the women held the notion that they would be better off under a male MP, hence their unflinching support for male counterparts.
Dr Rose Mensah-Kutin of ABANTU for Development, responding to claims that the NGOs limited their support for some selected female candidates, urged the female candidates to try and market themselves because it was always difficult to locate all such women in the country.
Ms Ursula Owusu, a legal and gender consultant, said deliberate support, especially through legislation, had proved to be a great catalyst for increasing the number of women entering Parliament.
She said in 1957 when the then President, Dr Kwame Nkrumah, realised that there was no woman in parliament, he passed the Representation of People’s Act (Women Members) in 1960 which allowed for the selection of 10 women into Parliament.
She described the move as the first ever affirmative action policy which introduced the quota system and this miraculously resulted in encouraging nine more women to contest competitive elections, winning to join their 10 counterparts selected through the affirmative action.
Ms Ursula gave the statistics of the female numbers in the Fourth Republican Parliament as 1992; 15, representing eight per cent; 1996, 19 females, representing nine per cent; 2000, 18, representing 9.5 per cent; 2004, 25 females, representing 10.9 per cent and 2008, 20 females, representing a reduction to 8.7 per cent.
Sharing their personal experiences at the three-day workshop on “Political Parties Strategy for developing Female Candidates,” organised by the Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA), they were of the view that if obstacles had not been put in their way their performance would have been better.
According to them the hurdles included limited finance, intimidation, religious and cultural beliefs, lack of support from other women, bias on the part of the Electoral Commission (EC) officials and the general belief that women should not be made leaders.
Ms Barbara Asamoah, who had stood on the ticket of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) in the Offinso Constituency for 2000, 2004 and 2008 elections, said during her campaign voters, especially females, made it clear to her that although she was the best candidate, they would prefer a male candidate because he (male candidate )could offer better support.
“I was shocked to hear from women groups that if they voted for me, they would not be able to ask for money from me or take me as their boyfriend. And that was the reason why they did not vote for me,” she said.
She also expressed worry that although there were a lot of non-governmental organisations (NGOs) offering support for women candidates, none of them came to her aid throughout the three elections she participated in.
She said although she did not want to impute political motive for such lack of support, she was of the view that the NGOs concentrated their actions in certain areas, thereby depriving some women of very vital support.
Ms Rhodalyn Ayarna who contested the Bawku Central seat on the ticket of the People’s National Convention (PNC) in the 2008 elections said there was an overwhelming support from the women for her, but they disclosed to her later that they had been warned by some elders not to vote for a female candidate.
She said surprisingly, some of the chiefs and elders visited her at night and told her that there was no way a woman could be allowed to lead Bawku Central in Parliament.
She also blamed electoral officers for her defeat, adding that they also associated themselves with the cultural and religious believe that women could not be leaders, and therefore gave her wrong days for all meetings, depriving her of the chance to go to Parliament.
Ms Ayarna was of the view that she would have been the best Member of Parliament (MP) for the area, especially in ensuring that there was peace, “because it was clear that the problem of the area was being fanned by leaders of some political parties”.
Mrs Gloria Ofori Buadu, who contested the New Patriotic Party (NPP) primary for Akyem-Abuakwa South slot, said she was surprised that women who were supposed to be her campaign managers abandoned her because they were of the view that she could not give them money like her male counterparts would do.
She said they told her that because she was seen as an educated person, most of the women felt that she was of a higher class and therefore could not support her cause.
Mrs Buadu noted that most of the women held the notion that they would be better off under a male MP, hence their unflinching support for male counterparts.
Dr Rose Mensah-Kutin of ABANTU for Development, responding to claims that the NGOs limited their support for some selected female candidates, urged the female candidates to try and market themselves because it was always difficult to locate all such women in the country.
Ms Ursula Owusu, a legal and gender consultant, said deliberate support, especially through legislation, had proved to be a great catalyst for increasing the number of women entering Parliament.
She said in 1957 when the then President, Dr Kwame Nkrumah, realised that there was no woman in parliament, he passed the Representation of People’s Act (Women Members) in 1960 which allowed for the selection of 10 women into Parliament.
She described the move as the first ever affirmative action policy which introduced the quota system and this miraculously resulted in encouraging nine more women to contest competitive elections, winning to join their 10 counterparts selected through the affirmative action.
Ms Ursula gave the statistics of the female numbers in the Fourth Republican Parliament as 1992; 15, representing eight per cent; 1996, 19 females, representing nine per cent; 2000, 18, representing 9.5 per cent; 2004, 25 females, representing 10.9 per cent and 2008, 20 females, representing a reduction to 8.7 per cent.
‘Low representation of women in politics decried’
Speakers at a workshop on strategies for developing female candidates for local and national elections have described the low number of women in positions in Parliament and in political party structures as a dent on the democratic process.
They argued that since women made up at least 51 per cent of the population, if their numbers in political positions were not enough, then those institutions, especially Parliament, was not representative enough.
The speakers were Dr Rose Mensah-Kutin of ABANTU for Development, Ms Ursula Owusu, a legal and gender consultant, and Mrs Maria Lavelle, Counsellor of the Canadian High Commission.
The three-day workshop, which was organised by the Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA), in collaboration with the Canadian High Commission in Ghana, at Akosombo was on theme, “Political parties’ strategy for developing female candidates and national elections”.
According to Dr Mensah-Kutin, the development of the country and the promotion of democracy could only be meaningful and effective if they relied on all the population, including women.
She said it was not only women who had been sidelined but other groups such as the youth and they must be considered for greater inclusiveness in all spheres of the democratic structural positions and processes.
She added that to address these imbalances, there was the need to review the electoral system and the political culture as a whole, all with the view to ensuring that all groups, especially women, were made to increase their numbers in areas where decisions were taken.
Ms Owusu buttressed her argument with a quote from the Beijing Platform for Action which states that “Without the active participation of women and the incorporation of women’s perspective in all levels of decision making, the goals of equality, development and peace cannot be achieved.”
She said locally and internationally, it had been realised that the exclusion of women from governance was a major factor in the underdevelopment of most countries, as the society was deprived of the benefit of their expertise, knowledge and skills.
“Equal participation of both sexes in decision making will provide a balance that accurately reflects the composition of society and this will strengthen democracy and promote its proper functioning. This, is turn, will help us to attain the constitutional imperative of gender balance in all aspects of public life,” she added.
Ms Owusu said the perpetual under-representation or exclusion of women was tantamount to “working while one hand, the most productive hand, was tied behind your back, as women form more than 50 per cent of the population”.
Concerning the excuse given by most competent women that politics was a dirty game and, therefore, it put them off, she explained that the participation of women in politics and governance would create a new political culture and sanitise the system, as women would bring a different focus and perspective to matters generally.
“Women understand their issues better and can represent their own needs and interests in terms of finding and implementing solutions to them, more effectively than men. An increase in the participation of women will also enrich the political discourse,” she noted.
Mrs Lavelle said a strong and vibrant democracy was possible only when Parliament was fully inclusive of the population, adding, “Parliament cannot consider itself inclusive until it can boast the full participation of women.”
She noted that changing attitudes towards the political participation of women and sensitising the political system to accept women required co-ordinated efforts at various levels by the government, Parliament, other decision-making bodies, political parties, civil society organisations, the media and the family unit.
They argued that since women made up at least 51 per cent of the population, if their numbers in political positions were not enough, then those institutions, especially Parliament, was not representative enough.
The speakers were Dr Rose Mensah-Kutin of ABANTU for Development, Ms Ursula Owusu, a legal and gender consultant, and Mrs Maria Lavelle, Counsellor of the Canadian High Commission.
The three-day workshop, which was organised by the Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA), in collaboration with the Canadian High Commission in Ghana, at Akosombo was on theme, “Political parties’ strategy for developing female candidates and national elections”.
According to Dr Mensah-Kutin, the development of the country and the promotion of democracy could only be meaningful and effective if they relied on all the population, including women.
She said it was not only women who had been sidelined but other groups such as the youth and they must be considered for greater inclusiveness in all spheres of the democratic structural positions and processes.
She added that to address these imbalances, there was the need to review the electoral system and the political culture as a whole, all with the view to ensuring that all groups, especially women, were made to increase their numbers in areas where decisions were taken.
Ms Owusu buttressed her argument with a quote from the Beijing Platform for Action which states that “Without the active participation of women and the incorporation of women’s perspective in all levels of decision making, the goals of equality, development and peace cannot be achieved.”
She said locally and internationally, it had been realised that the exclusion of women from governance was a major factor in the underdevelopment of most countries, as the society was deprived of the benefit of their expertise, knowledge and skills.
“Equal participation of both sexes in decision making will provide a balance that accurately reflects the composition of society and this will strengthen democracy and promote its proper functioning. This, is turn, will help us to attain the constitutional imperative of gender balance in all aspects of public life,” she added.
Ms Owusu said the perpetual under-representation or exclusion of women was tantamount to “working while one hand, the most productive hand, was tied behind your back, as women form more than 50 per cent of the population”.
Concerning the excuse given by most competent women that politics was a dirty game and, therefore, it put them off, she explained that the participation of women in politics and governance would create a new political culture and sanitise the system, as women would bring a different focus and perspective to matters generally.
“Women understand their issues better and can represent their own needs and interests in terms of finding and implementing solutions to them, more effectively than men. An increase in the participation of women will also enrich the political discourse,” she noted.
Mrs Lavelle said a strong and vibrant democracy was possible only when Parliament was fully inclusive of the population, adding, “Parliament cannot consider itself inclusive until it can boast the full participation of women.”
She noted that changing attitudes towards the political participation of women and sensitising the political system to accept women required co-ordinated efforts at various levels by the government, Parliament, other decision-making bodies, political parties, civil society organisations, the media and the family unit.
Dan Botwe to direct Npp’s Campaign strategy ... as party goes to confab on August 8
The National Executive Committee (NEC) of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) has appointed a former General Secretary of the party, Mr Dan Botwe, as its Director of Campaign Strategy.
The position, which is mandated by the party’s constitution, meant that Mr Botwe, who is also the Member of Parliament (MP) for Okere, will be in charge of and also co-ordinate the party’s campaign strategies for a successful victory.
The NEC also set August 8, 2009 as the date for the party’s national emergency conference for the consideration of the proposed amendments to its constitution. It will take place at the Trade Fair Centre in Accra.
Mr Peter Mac Manu, the National Chairman of the party, who was briefing the Daily Graphic in Accra yesterday, said the decisions were taken at the NEC meeting, which was held on June 25, 2009.
He said another major decision arrived at at the meeting was the celebration of the party’s 17th anniversary, which falls on July 24, 2009, as well as the conference to evaluate the contribution of the leaders of the tradition towards the attainment of independence and the development of the country.
“The two occasions would also be used to rename the party’s tradition as the ‘Dankwa-Dombo-Busia’ instead of the Dankwa-Busia”, the national chairman said.
He explained that the conference would be attended by five delegates from each of the 230 constituencies, 10 from each of the 10 regions and national executive, as well as all the party’s Members of Parliament (MPs).
Giving a little background, he said the process of amending the party’s constitution started before the party went into the 2008 general election and it was under the chairmanship of the late Mr Peter Ala Adjetey, the Chairman of the Legal and Constitutional Affairs Committee of the party.
He said after the elections, the General Secretary and committee members received and worked on the memoranda and other suggestions from members of the party across the country, as well as the party’s oversees branches, concerning the proposed amendment.
Mr Mac Manu said after the necessary compilation, the committee put together the proposed amendment and held meetings with constitutionally mandated stakeholders who had agreed that the proposals should be put before the conference for acceptance or otherwise.
He added that copies of the proposed amendment had been made available to all stakeholders for study before the conference.
He said the party had also put together a committee to undertake a nationwide tour to brief party members about the proposed amendment.
The national chairman said the committee had also been tasked by the NEC to brief members of the party about recent happenings in the country, especially about the deliberate political persecution and harassment of political appointees under the Kufuor Administration at the hand of the state security apparatus.
??????“They are also to receive the complaints of harassment and intimidation by National Democratic Congress (NDC) supporters and encourage them to remain steadfast and loyal to the NPP. They urged party members to be law-abiding and bear in mind that their party, the NPP, was still committed to the rule of law and human rights,” he said.
The position, which is mandated by the party’s constitution, meant that Mr Botwe, who is also the Member of Parliament (MP) for Okere, will be in charge of and also co-ordinate the party’s campaign strategies for a successful victory.
The NEC also set August 8, 2009 as the date for the party’s national emergency conference for the consideration of the proposed amendments to its constitution. It will take place at the Trade Fair Centre in Accra.
Mr Peter Mac Manu, the National Chairman of the party, who was briefing the Daily Graphic in Accra yesterday, said the decisions were taken at the NEC meeting, which was held on June 25, 2009.
He said another major decision arrived at at the meeting was the celebration of the party’s 17th anniversary, which falls on July 24, 2009, as well as the conference to evaluate the contribution of the leaders of the tradition towards the attainment of independence and the development of the country.
“The two occasions would also be used to rename the party’s tradition as the ‘Dankwa-Dombo-Busia’ instead of the Dankwa-Busia”, the national chairman said.
He explained that the conference would be attended by five delegates from each of the 230 constituencies, 10 from each of the 10 regions and national executive, as well as all the party’s Members of Parliament (MPs).
Giving a little background, he said the process of amending the party’s constitution started before the party went into the 2008 general election and it was under the chairmanship of the late Mr Peter Ala Adjetey, the Chairman of the Legal and Constitutional Affairs Committee of the party.
He said after the elections, the General Secretary and committee members received and worked on the memoranda and other suggestions from members of the party across the country, as well as the party’s oversees branches, concerning the proposed amendment.
Mr Mac Manu said after the necessary compilation, the committee put together the proposed amendment and held meetings with constitutionally mandated stakeholders who had agreed that the proposals should be put before the conference for acceptance or otherwise.
He added that copies of the proposed amendment had been made available to all stakeholders for study before the conference.
He said the party had also put together a committee to undertake a nationwide tour to brief party members about the proposed amendment.
The national chairman said the committee had also been tasked by the NEC to brief members of the party about recent happenings in the country, especially about the deliberate political persecution and harassment of political appointees under the Kufuor Administration at the hand of the state security apparatus.
??????“They are also to receive the complaints of harassment and intimidation by National Democratic Congress (NDC) supporters and encourage them to remain steadfast and loyal to the NPP. They urged party members to be law-abiding and bear in mind that their party, the NPP, was still committed to the rule of law and human rights,” he said.
We need political will to decongest cities •2 Leading politicians declare
Two leading members of the National Democratic Congress and the New Patriotic Party (NPP) have called for the political will and non-partisan approach to decongesting the central business district of Accra.
They suggested that a similar approach was required to demolish buildings on watercourses which caused floods in the nation’s capital.
The two, Mr Yaw Boateng-Gyan, the Deputy National Organiser of the NDC, and Mr Peter Mac Manu, the National Chairman of the NPP, were speaking in separate interviews with the Daily Graphic about the recent floods in Accra that claimed seven lives and destroyed property in the national capital.
They underscored the need for all political parties to lend support to the party in government in its efforts to deal with national issues.
They were of the opinion that national problems such as health, sanitation and floods had the propensity to wreck havoc on Ghanaians, irrespective of their political affiliation and at the same time drain the national coffers.
Mr Boateng-Gyan, who is also a Presidential Staffer, noted that the Mills Administration was ready to take the bull by the horn and take bold decisions that would in the long run secure the safety and health of the entire nation as well as protect the environment for posterity.
He noted most of the problems of the country had occurred under various governments and caused the nation huge sums of money that could have been used for developing other areas of the society. He therefore called on leadership of all political parties to lend a hand in dealing with these issues.
“If the NDC is able to deal with these issues, a future NPP or CPP Administration would not spend time and fortune to deal with the same problems again. Governments are elected to solve problems and I assure Ghanaians that the NDC government will do exactly that”, he added.
Mr Boateng-Gyan noted that it was high time the metropolitan, municipal and district assemblies, especially the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) educated the people who had flouted the rules and regulations on building on watercourses and unauthorised places.
He said after the education and establishment of markets for the hawkers, such as what took place during the Kufuor Administration, all buildings on watercourses must be demolished and the hawkers cleared from the street. Bye-laws on people who dispose of rubbish indiscriminately should also be enforced.
He added that these were decisions that usually made governments unpopular in the eyes of such recalcitrant citizens who in turn threatened not to vote for the government in power, but added that if the hawkers were cleared and unauthorised structures on watercourses demolished, the good works of the government would attract more votes.
For his part, the NPP National Chairman noted that it was about time certain issues, especially health, environment and safety of the citizenry were dealt with dispassionately and in a non-partisan manner so that decisions taken would impact positively on the entire nation.
He described as worrying, the increasing trend of flooding during rainy seasons as a result of the parochial interest of some few citizens who were bent on building on watercourses, a situation he said was gaining roots in almost all the major cities in the country.
He said the repercussions of the inability of various governments to take bold decisions on certain issues of national importance over the years had been disastrous for the entire country and that such acts must cease.
Mr Mac Manu described as unacceptable, the unpatriotic behaviour of certain Ghanaians who flout the rules and regulations with impunity even when staff of state institutions had called their attention to their bad deeds.
They suggested that a similar approach was required to demolish buildings on watercourses which caused floods in the nation’s capital.
The two, Mr Yaw Boateng-Gyan, the Deputy National Organiser of the NDC, and Mr Peter Mac Manu, the National Chairman of the NPP, were speaking in separate interviews with the Daily Graphic about the recent floods in Accra that claimed seven lives and destroyed property in the national capital.
They underscored the need for all political parties to lend support to the party in government in its efforts to deal with national issues.
They were of the opinion that national problems such as health, sanitation and floods had the propensity to wreck havoc on Ghanaians, irrespective of their political affiliation and at the same time drain the national coffers.
Mr Boateng-Gyan, who is also a Presidential Staffer, noted that the Mills Administration was ready to take the bull by the horn and take bold decisions that would in the long run secure the safety and health of the entire nation as well as protect the environment for posterity.
He noted most of the problems of the country had occurred under various governments and caused the nation huge sums of money that could have been used for developing other areas of the society. He therefore called on leadership of all political parties to lend a hand in dealing with these issues.
“If the NDC is able to deal with these issues, a future NPP or CPP Administration would not spend time and fortune to deal with the same problems again. Governments are elected to solve problems and I assure Ghanaians that the NDC government will do exactly that”, he added.
Mr Boateng-Gyan noted that it was high time the metropolitan, municipal and district assemblies, especially the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) educated the people who had flouted the rules and regulations on building on watercourses and unauthorised places.
He said after the education and establishment of markets for the hawkers, such as what took place during the Kufuor Administration, all buildings on watercourses must be demolished and the hawkers cleared from the street. Bye-laws on people who dispose of rubbish indiscriminately should also be enforced.
He added that these were decisions that usually made governments unpopular in the eyes of such recalcitrant citizens who in turn threatened not to vote for the government in power, but added that if the hawkers were cleared and unauthorised structures on watercourses demolished, the good works of the government would attract more votes.
For his part, the NPP National Chairman noted that it was about time certain issues, especially health, environment and safety of the citizenry were dealt with dispassionately and in a non-partisan manner so that decisions taken would impact positively on the entire nation.
He described as worrying, the increasing trend of flooding during rainy seasons as a result of the parochial interest of some few citizens who were bent on building on watercourses, a situation he said was gaining roots in almost all the major cities in the country.
He said the repercussions of the inability of various governments to take bold decisions on certain issues of national importance over the years had been disastrous for the entire country and that such acts must cease.
Mr Mac Manu described as unacceptable, the unpatriotic behaviour of certain Ghanaians who flout the rules and regulations with impunity even when staff of state institutions had called their attention to their bad deeds.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)