Ab TV GH

Category: General News

  • Election 2024: Ghana Card sine qua non

    Abtvgh / NIA

    Identity documents, the commonest being national identity cards, allow people to exist in the eyes of society.

    Citizens use them whenever they need to prove who they are or where they come from, to fulfil their civic duties or cross borders.

    Without a legal identity document, citizens cannot access basic human rights such as health care, education, social welfare and the right to work, yet around a third of the world’s population lack an official ID.  

    While some countries are now grappling with the challenges and potential benefits of registering all residents, the United Nations goal of “legal identity for all” by 2030 remains  distant.

    For governments, who have the ultimate responsibility to provide their citizens with a proof of identity, offering them robust and long-lasting documents to protect their identities is crucial.

    Ensuring that civilians can rely on these secure documents to conveniently access the necessary services in the physical and digital world must also be a top priority.

    Across the globe, legal identification is required for essential tasks such as opening a bank account, accessing government assistance and services, and performing civic duties.

    Thus, in Ghana when moves were initiated to enable citizens and foreigners living in Ghana to own and acquire the Ghana Card, many welcomed the news.

    Unfortunately, the process of acquisition has been plagued with logistical challenges, especially the prompt release of funds to ensure that the card is made available to those who desire it.

    The need to discuss the Ghana Card and the challenges around its issuance cannot be overemphasised, especially when the Electoral Commission (EC) stated last week Thursday that the guarantor system had outlived its usefulness, hence the need for the adoption of a system that would ensure that every registrant was identified on his or her own merit rather than another person vouching for the age and nationality of that person (See Friday, September 19, 2023, Daily Graphic, pages 10 and 23).

    Some people may disagree with the EC on the grounds that not every Ghanaian has the Ghana Card or that the guarantor system had been with us since time immemorial. Some even argue that the NIA also uses the guarantor system to issue cards to qualified people.

    But for how long do we have to use the guarantor system in every registration exercise?

    Even if the NIA uses the guarantor system, would it not be easier for applicants of the voter ID cards to use the Ghana Card to facilitate the process?

    Indeed, many civil servants and public sector workers are yet to receive their salaries for the month of September because they have been asked by their various agencies to produce their Ghana Card for validation before they are paid.

    It is a fact that this is not the only time government workers have been asked to produce one form of identification or another before being paid.

    In its limited voter registration, pictures and videos have gone viral on social media of minors and in some instances, applicants alleged to be foreigners, seen trying to register for the voter ID.

    By the 16th day of the registration, the EC had recorded a total of 7,561 challenged cases in all the Registration Centres, constituting 1.12 per cent of all the registered voters.

    This raises a lot of concern and we believe that all the relevant stakeholders – political parties, civil society organisations and parents – have a responsibility to deal with the canker of minors and foreigners taking advantage of the guarantor system to register.

    Our democracy would be better if we help the EC to keep a credible voter register.

    We, therefore, urge eligible Ghanaians who are yet to secure the Ghana Card to do so before the next window of the registration exercise opens next year.

  • Prioritization of national interest: Timely call

    Abtvgh / NPI

    The nation is considered a beacon of hope for democracy and stability in Africa after 66 years of independence.

    Granted that it is by no means a remarkable achievement, there are many political pundits who argue that what the nation’s forebears fought for had not been fully achieved, leaving some gaps to be filled.

    Notable among them is the need to break that cycle of politicians seeking their parochial interests to the neglect of the national interest.

    Some argue that the vision of those who sacrificed for the nation to gain independence has not yielded the desired results, particularly with regard to patriotism, nationalism and other values.

    Indeed, the sacrifices made by the forebears started 126 years ago when the Aborigines Rights Protection Society was formed in Cape Coast to resist the Crown Lands Bill of 1897.

    It  was a courageous act! It prevented the expropriation of Ghanaian lands for the benefit of the British Crown, safeguarding the people’s ownership of their lands during the colonial period.

    Last Thursday, the nation commemorated the birthday of its first President, Dr Kwame Nkrumah, and one of the country’s statesmen granted the Daily Graphic an interview where he shared his thoughts on how to leverage the legacy of Kwame Nkrumah and build on what the forebears bequeathed to the nation (see page 13, Friday, December 22, 2023 of Daily Graphic).

    The Public Holidays Amendment Bill, 2018, led to the setting aside of September 21 as a memorial day for Ghana’s first president, Dr Kwame Nkrumah, in recognition of his significant role in the fight for Ghana’s independence on March 6, 1957.

    Dr Abu Sakara Foster, who is also a development agronomist, in his submission to mark the day, stressed the need for politicians to prioritise the national interest rather than parochial interests at all levels.

    He said meritocracy, equity, inclusion, integrity of service and empowerment of people, among others, were key ingredients the nation’s forebears fought for, which should be restored and practised in full.

    The paper supports this call which is relevant today due to recent developments on the political scene.

    Meritocracy as a social system in which people get status or rewards because of what they achieve rather than their wealth, social status or political affiliation is no longer working to some extent.

    It is a common phenomenon for some party apparatchiks to get political appointments not based on merit but on other considerations, resulting in the putting of “square pegs in round holes”.

    Similarly, equity and inclusiveness are now a challenge in governance as members of a community that should feel included and empowered to improve or maintain their well- being are being sidelined because they are not party card-bearing members.

    Integrity of service which means living up to a commitment made either through explicit statements or implicitly through behaviour is also not being followed rigidly by some duty-bearers.

    This has resulted in a situation where some basic social amenities such as potable water, electricity, roads and hospitals are not being provided for the citizenry as required if social justice and equity are anything to go by.

    The paper would like to point out that when the citizenry are empowered, they are able to demand political accountability which is required in democratic governance.

    The Daily Graphic believes that accountability is a central piece of good governance.

    It enables the sharing of power (concept of checks and balances) and the public control over the use of public resources.

    It contributes to reducing the risk of power abuse and corrupt practices, which in turn is essential to ensure the fulfilment of people’s basic human rights.

    A well-functioning accountable system contributes to building trust in state institutions and the processes of managing public affairs.

    The paper thinks that as the nation continues to celebrate the birthday of Dr Nkrumah and extol the values of the nation’s forebears, it is imperative to restore all those values necessary for nation-building.

    Those values must be expressions of human dignity, trust, value, respect, selflessness, among others.

    Such values, the paper believes, will go a long way to prevent the winner-takes-all politics, corruption, tribal politics and monetocracy driven by material wealth which the nation is grappling with and which, if not eliminated, will eventually erode the democratic gains so far made.

    The Daily Graphic therefore reminds Ghanaians to recommit themselves to seeking the national good.

    That means the goals, values and objectives that a nation seeks to advance must be paramount. 

  • It’s time to reform UN Security Council

    Abtvgh / U.N. Secretary-General

    The United Nations (UN) Security Council’s failure to act on critical issues affecting the security of member nations have reignited long-smouldering global demands to overhaul the world’s premier body for international peace and security. 

    President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, in his address at the 78th Session of the UN General Assembly in New York last Wednesday, called for immediate reforms at the Security Council of the United Nations to conform to present global trends.

    The President expressed disappointment that the big powers of the UN preach democracy, fairness and justice around the world, yet they were happy to practise the opposite at the UN, prioritising parochial interests over those of humanity.

     In his view, the UN in its current shape “cannot continue to preach democracy, equality and good governance around the globe,” stressing that “we cannot insist on peace and justice in the world when our global organization is seen by the majority of its members and the people of the world as hampered by an unjust and unfair structure”.

    The sentiments voiced by President Akufo-Addo at the General Assembly adds to uncountable similar calls made by other world leaders.

    Worryingly, in spite of world leaders’ unanimous admonishment for the expansion of the UN Security Council, there appears to be a lack of willingness to expand the Security Council to 24 members from its current 15, of which five permanent members—Britain, China, France, Russia, and the United States—wield veto power.

    The 10 non-permanent members are currently elected to two-year terms.

    Currently, Ghana is serving the second of its two-year term on the security council as a non-permanent member and President Akufo-Addo was of the view that with all that the UN had achieved in its 78 years of existence, African countries still had to deal with “the reluctance by nations, organizations and the major powers at the formation of the organizations, to agree to any reform to reflect present realities”.

    The impulse for reform is understandable.

    Nearly eight decades after its creation, the Security Council retains the same five permanent members —China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States.

    Compounding these frustrations about membership, each of the permanent five countries retains a veto permitting it to unilaterally block Security Council resolutions inimical to its national interests.

    The result is frequent council paralysis, exacerbated by deepening geopolitical issues.

    To a growing proportion of the world’s governments and citizens, the council today is both feckless and unjust, dominated by unrepresentative powers inclined to abuse their position rather than safeguard the peace.

    The obstacles to council reform are daunting.

    They include the high procedural hurdles to amending the UN Charter; divergent member state positions on the acceptable size and terms of any enlargement; disagreement over current veto provisions and their potential extension to any new permanent members and gnawing uncertainties over whether any plausible enlargement—even if it made the council more representative—would improve its functioning.

    Any change to the council’s composition or voting rules would require the approval of two-thirds of UN members—including each of the permanent five members—accompanied by relevant domestic legislation.

    Given intensifying geopolitical rivalry and deepening political polarisation in many countries, prospects for updating the council appear slim.

    Yet, pressure for Security Council expansion and veto reform will surely grow as the distribution of power and the nature of security threats shift further from what they were in 1945. Absent structural changes, the council’s performance and legitimacy will inevitably suffer.

    Given these stakes, the world requires fresh thinking on reform pathways that will help the council meet the demands of the moment.

    The Daily Graphic, therefore, strongly believes that the council stands no better chance to effectively address the diverse challenges affecting the world today. Issues such as pressing climate emergencies, food insecurity, terrorism and the recent upsurge in coups d’état across Africa; the Russia-Ukraine war, among others, will continue to persist because there is a lack of resolve on the part of all nations to come together to find lasting solutions.

  • Tourism has potential for more achievements

    Abtvgh / GTA

    The Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture and the Ghana Tourism Authority (GTA) deserve a pat on their shoulders for their hard work that has contributed to an increase in tourist traffic into the country.

    While the GTA has attributed the rise in tourist arrivals largely to its December in Ghana (GH) initiative, we also believe that the marketing of Ghana to the global community as a peaceful country, a place that is ready to receive people of African descent from the Diaspora and a place to experience diverse cultures, a move spearheaded by the President, has contributed immensely to that.

    If we must strike while the iron is hot, then we must not rest on our laurels, but do more to sustain the increased tourist arrivals into the country. The Diaspora must be used as the launch pad to achieve this, if indeed Ghana is to become the Mecca for Pan Africanism.

    The country is blessed with many indigenous festivals all year round, which can be harnessed and made attractive to the international community so as to pull in guests locally, as well as those from abroad, and not wait for only December.

    The country is made up of 16 regions, all of which have something to offer to attract tourists.

    In this regard, the Daily Graphic calls for a deliberate plan involving all the MMDAs in all the regions to bring this into fruition.

    We, therefore, find it reassuring that the GTA is already considering leveraging other peak months so that throughout the year, Ghana will be on the map for travellers.

    If we are looking forward to having more guests in town all year round, then we must beef up our security and ensure effective traffic control.

    Also, by allowing more people in, we are indirectly importing foreign cultures, so we must do well to convey to our guests what hurts the sensibilities of Ghanaians.

    There is also the need to invest in infrastructure and grant tax rebates to vendors of top-of-the-range musical equipment and lighting to prevent embarrassing experiences as happened at some of the outdoor musical concerts.

    We urge that the authorities grant special concessions to organisers of events, sanctioned by the GTA.

    Further, the hospitality industry must consider discounted rates coupled with improved services, especially during peak periods, to enable more guests to afford their services.

    We also urge the GTA to effectively supervise the ‘Air BNB’ business which has come to add to the hospitality business and also ensure that all in the sector meet internationally accepted standards at all times.

    Indeed, when it comes to receiving guests from our airports, taxi and car hiring services are the first port of call.

    We, therefore, urge the proper training of both professionals and amateurs who will be assisting guests and giving them the proverbial Ghanaian welcome when they arrive, instead of finding ways to rip them off.

    Once a guest feels welcome into our country, he or she will not only want to come back, but become an ambassador who will encourage others to visit.

    We admit that there is a lot to be done to make Ghana the number one tourist destination in Africa, and that is the reason why we urge the Ghana Investment Promotion Centre, National Security, the Ghana Police Service, the Ghana Immigration Service, the Ghana Airport Company Ltd, the Art Centre Traders Association, event organizers and traditional catering services, among others, to effectively collaborate to make it happen.

  • Limited voter registration: Matters arising.

    Limited voter registration: Matters arising.

    Abtvgh /EC

    The Electoral Commission (EC) on September 12, 2023, started a limited voter registration exercise with the view to registering about 1.35 million Ghanaians who have turned 18 years and above and other eligible persons who could not register in 2020

    The limited voter registration is due to end on October 2, 2023.

    However, prior to the commencement of the exercise, there were disagreements over the use of the district offices of the EC for the exercise.

    Some political parties had even gone to court to stop the EC from undertaking the exercise until the parties and the EC had reached an agreement.

    Be it as it may, the exercise started amid some challenges.

    Key among the challenges were network issues resulting in some centers starting late, non-functional registration equipment, lack of adequate education on the exercise and people travelling long distances to the district offices to register, with some having to return twice to the centers to register.

    There have been reports of long queues at some of the centers.

    Aside from the technical challenges, there have been some reported attacks on registrants at some of the registration centers notably at the Okai Kwei North District office of the EC in the Greater Accra Region on the morning of Sunday, September 17, 2023, where 15 people waiting for their turn to be registered were attacked by unidentified men.

    Again, it was reported that violence erupted between some party members of the National Democratic Congress and the New Patriotic Party at the Agona West office of the 
    EC in the Central Region.

    These may be a few isolated incidents that have characterized the exercise which must be condemned.

    The Daily Graphic believes that the EC could have resolved most of the challenges if it had tested the equipment to assess its efficacy, especially when it was last used in 2020.

    It could also have checked the network issues to use the most appropriate internet service to ensure that all the challenges were resolved to ensure a smooth exercise. 

    The EC could have done itself and, for that matter, a lot of Ghanaians some good by educating the prospective voters that the ongoing limited voter registration exercise was for those interested in taking part in the district level elections on December 19, 2023.

    We disagree with the EC on this particular reasoning because participation in the district level elections has always been low and if the EC is limiting the registration to only those interested in taking part in that exercise in December this year, it is not the best.

    We believe that it could just have explained that it would roll out another registration exercise next year in electoral areas as explained by its Director of Electoral Services, Dr Serebour Quaicoo.

    For us, the EC could have done better by engaging all the stakeholders to fill the gaps and eliminate any bottlenecks before the exercise was rolled out.

    The stakeholders could have been the most appropriate vehicle for the mass education of the registration exercise.

    It is true that the EC may have reasons for undertaking the exercise in its district offices, but we think that it must rethink its strategies to encourage all qualified persons to register and participate in the election of our political leaders, be it at the local, constituency or national level.

    It should not be left in the hands of a privileged few.

    To us, every vote counts, and no one should be disenfranchised, hence the need to increase the registration centers in future.

    This will reduce the tension and the sleepless nights some people endure to register, as well as reduce the cost of embarking on long journeys to register.

    Having gone through this journey of registration of voters in the past 31 years, the Daily Graphic believes that it is time all stakeholders came together to help find an antidote to this perennial problem.

    We believe that when the stakeholders, including the EC, the National Identification Authority, political parties and civil society engage meaningfully on the way forward, we would be enhancing our democratic credentials.

    It is about time we stopped the acrimonious cycle of accusations, counteraccusations and taking entrenched positions each time, we are undertaking registration exercises or going to conduct elections. 

    We must work together so that Ghanaians will continue to have confidence in the electoral system in the election of our leaders. We implore the EC to extend the limited voter registration exercise by some few days to capture many more people.

  • Aburi Girls SHS needs its residential building

    Abtvgh / Aburi Girls SHS Need’s

    Last week, the Daily Graphic carried a story where a completed residential building for teachers of Aburi Girls Senior High School (SHS) has been abandoned for the past four years because the contractor has refused to hand over the project for use.

    Daily Graphic checks reveal that while the contractor insists he needs to be paid additional money to enable him to complete the work, the Ghana Education Trust Fund (GETFund) Secretariat, the financier of the project, says it does not owe the contractor.

    The GETFund Secretariat provided proof of schedule confirming the full payment explaining that consistent with every contract, the financier holds a retention against defects which will be paid to the contractor after the defect liability period has lapsed.

    Unfortunately, amid all this back and forth, some critical staff of the school continue to bear the brunt of the closure.

    The Daily Graphic sees this development as unacceptable and charges the Regional Coordinating Council (RCC) to listen to wise counsel by the GETFund to go for the keys to the building since full payment had been made.

    We are of the conviction that the position of the contractor that he executed the project with a loan from the bank and that he had used the money the government paid the company to service the loan and, therefore, was left with nothing to fully complete the project is unacceptable.

    We urge GETFund not to release any extra money for the completion of the building while the RCC gets the contractor to do the right thing.

    The GETFund should not be seen as a charity where its funds meant for the execution of projects are misconstrued as free money but a well-thought-out intention to address an urgent problem and in this case, accommodation facility for critical staff of the Aburi Girls’ SHS.

    The position of the contractor that it is not possible to hand over the building to be used by the teachers because it is not completed is neither here nor there because if GETFund has honoured its part of the bargain, the contractor cannot say he does not have any money to complete it.

    Unfortunately, the 16-unit facility has developed cracks, while the roofing leaks badly anytime it rains heavily.

    The issue of shoddy work has been the bane of many projects, especially government-awarded projects, where contractors get away with such slipshop execution.

    Such shoddy works are surely not only a financial loss to the country, but a drain on the limited public purse and such contractors must be held accountable.

    The Abtvgh believes that if a project is awarded to a contractor, it means the contractor has demonstrated what it takes to execute the project.

    It is expected that the contractor has the financial muscle to handle such projects.

    So, for the contractor to complain that he took a loan and had to repay it when the contract sum was paid him should not even come into the picture because that is what he is required to do.

    The teachers, and for that matter the school, Aburi Girls SHS, do not need to know the source of funding for the project.

    All they need is that the project is completed and handed over for use.

    The project was awarded on contract because there was the need for it, and for GETFund to provide full funding in 2020 and for the contractor to still have the keys in his possession as of 2023 while the expected beneficiaries continue to struggle, is unacceptable.

    Accommodating teachers on the school premises ensures proper monitoring and supervision of the activities of students so it is not proper that the school and the staff cannot have access to the building.  

    Surely, this standoff between the contractor and the RCC does not augur well for effective and efficient delivery of quality teaching and learning in the school.

    Unless there are other unknown causes, the facts available are clear so the contractor must be compelled to complete and hand over the building for use.

  • Lack of women empowerment stagnates progress

    Abtvgh / SDG

    Gender equality is not only a fundamental human right, but a necessary foundation for a peaceful, prosperous and sustainable world

    Goal Five of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) aims at achieving gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls.

    Although statistics across the world shows that there has been progress over the last decades, the world is not on track to achieve gender equality by 2030.

    Only two countries, Rwanda and South Africa, are among the world’s top 20 best countries for women, according to the World Economic Forum’s report.

    Available evidence shows that women and girls represent half of the world’s population and therefore half of its potential.

    But gender inequality persists everywhere and stagnates social progress.

    On the average, women in the labour market still earn 23 per cent less than men globally and women spend about three times as many hours in unpaid domestic and care work as men.

    Also, sexual violence, exploitation, the unequal division of unpaid care, domestic work and discrimination in public office, continue to remain huge barriers.

    That is why, on June 17, 2023, the Organisation of African First Ladies for Development (OAFLAD) and partners launched #WeAreEqual, a year-long unifying campaign that calls for urgent action to advance gender equity and close the gender gap in Africa.

    #WeAreEqual focuses on key action areas, including health care, gender-based violence, education and economic empowerment.

    The campaign seeks to raise awareness of the power of gender equity and calls on African leaders to take action now by addressing the root causes of gender inequality and fostering collaboration among diverse partners.

    To bring the campaign home, the First Lady, Rebecca Akufo-Addo, on August 28, 2023 launched the #WeAreEqual campaign in Ghana as part of the strategic measures to fight for gender equality that will enable girls and women to contribute their quota to the development of the country.

    Launching the campaign, she said: “The fight for gender equality is an age-old one.

    Sadly, it is a fight that has not been won.

    Even though the global gender gap has been narrowing, we need a lot more urgency and action to make very significant impact.

    When women and girls, representing about half of our society, have equal access to health, education and skills, and are free from gender-based violence, they can contribute their quota to the development of our nation”.

    Achieving gender equality is critical to driving social and economic progress for all in building the world that we want.

    As a society, we cannot collectively move forward to achieve these goals if we are only lifting one foot off the ground.

    The Daily Graphic believes that when women are empowered it results in closing the gender gap and unlocks the full potential of our society, as evidence from around the world has proved that gender equality drives social and economic progress for all.

    Through a concerted effort, we can create a future where gender equity is not only a goal, but a lived reality for everyone, transforming societies and building a more just and inclusive world.

    The paper also agrees with OAFLAD that everyone has a role to play in bringing attention and urgency to this issue.

    Participation and commitment from governments, civil society organisations, international bodies and individuals are critical to advancing gender equity and that driving meaningful change requires continuous advocacy, policy reforms and allocation of resources to address the root causes of gender inequality and create enabling environments for women and girls to thrive.

    There is an urgent need for concrete action and policy change to advance gender equity as gender-sensitive and gender-focused policies when implemented with adequate funding and full commitment can contribute to creating more inclusive and equitable societies.

    We call for gender-responsive laws that protect and enshrine women’s rights, policies and laws that prioritise gender equity because they are crucial for driving meaningful change.

    To ensure fairness, strategies and measures must often be available to compensate for women’s historical and social disadvantages that prevent them from otherwise operating on a level playing field.

  • Examination malpractice: Let’s instil right values in our children

    Abtvgh / Waec / GES

    The silence of the activities of rogue websites since the beginning of this year’s West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) gave the public some hope that at least, for the first time in recent years, the examination would pass without the usual headlines, mostly for the wrong reasons.

    This went on until last week Saturday when the headline “WAEC uncovers WASSCE cheats” trended and indeed, is still trending, emanating from a press conference organised by the West African Examinations Council (WAEC).

    The conduct of teachers, some of whom were picked up raised eyebrows regarding the actions of the very people detailed to take care of the examination centres.

    At the press conference, the council announced that it had uncovered a grand scheme by some school authorities and candidates to cheat in the ongoing WASSCE, leading to some arrests

    WAEC said during an operation by its specially trained monitoring agents, many candidates were caught with mobile phones and other electronic gadgets in the examination halls.

    The Daily Graphic finds this unacceptable, recalling how one of the examination invigilators, the late Asare Minako, who insisted on preventing candidates from carrying mobile phones into the examination hall on October 11, 2005, was brutally murdered by the candidates.

    To ensure that such a heinous act does not get lost in history, the WAEC named one of its foremost centres after this committed personality who wanted to maintain the sanctity of examinations conducted by the council.

    It is common knowledge among teachers and students, particularly candidates preparing to write or who are writing any examination administered by the WAEC that carrying mobile phones into examination halls or even within the premises of an examination centre attracts outright cancellation of the entire examination of any candidate caught in the act.

    To ensure that this punitive measure does not come as a surprise to anybody, the WAEC every year, before the beginning of both WASSCE and the Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE), embarks on a sensitisation drive for both candidates and parents as well as the general public on the dos and don’ts of the examinations.

    In this whole enterprise, parents and teachers have a crucial role to play because they are very much involved in the early development of children.

    It is important parents do not give their children the wrong impression that they can do anything under the sun and get away with it.

    The Daily Graphic is worried that after the WAEC worked hard to block the loophole of the activities of rogue website operators, teachers, in whose hands the children are entrusted to prepare them for the examination, are rather inculcating wrong habits into them.

    What a shame!

    We are wondering if this is a testimony that the teachers are not teaching well or that they do not complete the various syllabi before the conduct of the examination and so, in order not to be blamed they engage in such activities.

    The Ghana Education Service (GES) and, for that matter, the Ministry of Education has trumpeted the issue of contact hours as the reason for Ghana to continue  writing the Ghana-only version of the WASSCE.

    We dare say that those teachers involved in such acts are an embarrassment to the teaching profession and must bow their heads in shame.

    The Daily Graphic is at a loss as to why teachers, who are to guide and direct the children to be law-abiding citizens should be the very ones supporting the children to cheat.

    We call on WAEC to enforce its rules and regulations to serve as a deterrent to other students.

    Ghanaians are waiting to know the number of candidates who were caught with mobile phones and smartwatches in the examination halls as promised by the Head of Public Affairs of WAEC, John Kapi, by the close of this week.

    All Ghanaians must work to ensure that the certificates issued by WAEC remain relevant and respected globally.

    This can only be done through the collaboration of all and not only WAEC.

    Security is a shared responsibility and not for the police or the security services alone; we all have a role to play.

  • We learnt nothing from Appiatse explosion

    We learnt nothing from Appiatse explosion

    Abtvgh / Western Region

    Last Sunday’s explosion at a quarry at Kobenandokrom in the Shama District in the Western Region that killed four people is a testament that as a nation, we have not learnt lessons from the deadly explosion that killed about 17 people at Appiatse in the same region last year.

    It also shows that the nation is yet to devise workable and implementable safety protocols on the use of explosives since a similar quarry explosion at Piabo near Nsawam in 2015 killed one person and destroyed many buildings.

    It was in January last year that the entire community of Appiatse was wiped out by a massive explosion caused by 10 tonnes of dynamites being transported to a mining site at Bogoso.

    Apart from the 17 confirmed deaths, more than 480 people were reported to have suffered varying degrees of injury.

    The Appiatse explosion destroyed a lot.

    People lost their lives, loved ones, property, livelihoods and a sense of belonging.

    It led to a massive nationwide effort, spearheaded by the Appiatse Support Fund, to help rebuild the town.

    An investigative committee was formed which supposedly made far-reaching recommendations on how to strengthen the safety protocols in the handling of explosives for industrial purposes.

    About a-year-and-half down the line, it is unacceptable for the explosion at Kobenandokrom to have happened, and certainly an indictment on the authorities in charge of such issues.

    The Minerals Commission issued a statement that the quarry had no licence and was, therefore, operating illegally.

    In the statement, the commission said its preliminary investigations confirmed that the site of the explosion was a subject of an application by a company with the name STA Addsams Enterprise.

    The commission further said mine inspectors realised that the company was working at night ostensibly to prevent them from being noticed by the inspectors of the commission and the local task force comprising the police and members of the sand winners and quarry association.

    However, the statement by the commission leaves more questions than answers.

    How a quarry that operates in the open, with all the associated noise, can operate illegally without anyone noticing and questioning its operation is something we cannot fathom.

    Where was the regulator, the Shama District Assembly and other agencies of government when this company was operating in the full glare of the public without a licence?

    The fact that it was supposedly a foreign company also highlights the lapses in our regulatory framework and the space we give to people, including foreigners, to continue to commit an act of impunity with total disregard for our laws.

    Ghana has many laws meant to properly regulate the mining industry and prevent such explosions.

    In fact, due to its potential harmful impact on society, every aspect of the mining industry has a specific law regulating its activities.

    Apart from the main law – the Minerals and Mining Act, 2006 (Act 703), other laws include Minerals & Mining (Health, Safety and Technical) Regulations, 2012 (L.I. 2182), which deal with general safety regarding the sector and the Minerals & Mining (Explosives) Regulations, 2012 (L.I. 2177), which gives extensive regulations on the use, storage, transportation and disposal of explosives for the mining sector.

    The Daily Graphic calls on the commission and other regulatory bodies to implement to the letter the safety protocols regarding explosives as enshrined in L.I 2177.

    To serve as a deterrent, it is important that people whose negligence leads to such tragic loss of lives are made to pay for their actions, with criminal prosecution part of the options.

    Those to face the law should not only be industry players, but regulatory parties whose inaction fester such tragedies.

    As a country, we must also reform our tort system to ensure that companies, industry players and regulatory bodies whose actions and inaction result in such tragic incidents pay dearly in terms of civil liabilities.

    Such negligence should not be countenanced.

    People who have lost their loved ones and those who have suffered injuries and lost their source of livelihoods must be supported to initiate such civil actions, and the courts must impose the maximum liabilities in tandem with the law.

  • We must build sustainable cocoa economy

    Abtvgh / COCOBOD

    No other country comes to mind more than Ghana when one speaks of cocoa.

    Likewise, one cannot think of Ghana without the thought of its cocoa sector which offers livelihoods for millions along the value chain, including farmers. 

    Being one of the country’s main exports, cocoa has been central to the country’s debates on development, reforms and poverty alleviation strategies since independence in 1957.

    Since the introduction of cocoa in Ghana in the late 19th century, the crop has undergone a series of major expansion and contractions.

    Cycles are intrinsic to cocoa production because cocoa is influenced by environmental factors such as availability of forest land, ecological factors such as deforestation, outbreaks of disease, geographic shifts in production, and economic and social factors such as migration.

    The grim forecast of drier weather conditions, elevated temperatures and decreased rainfall in the upcoming months, do not augur well for our production prospects.

    The looming possibility of lower-than-expected yields casts a shadow over our production goals, emphasising the urgency of taking immediate action.

    Recent price movements on the international cocoa market have been undesirable.

    Cocoa bean prices have plummeted and are predicted to remain low during the COVID-19 period.

    Over the years, the country has continuously exported raw cocoa beans with little value addition.

    The fortunes of the hardworking farmers have become tied to the volatile cocoa bean market.

    The Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD) has been absorbing the shocks of price declines, with the aim of minimizing the negative impact on cocoa farmers.

    Among other challenges facing the sector is the depreciating value of the cedi.

    The situation has compelled some of the farmers to smuggle their produce out of the country into neighbouring countries, particularly Cote d’Ivoire and Togo, while some of them resort to giving out their farms for illegal mining, popularly called galamsey.

    These two activities are counterproductive for the country, particularly so, as many people are diverting from cocoa production into other ventures other than cocoa farming.

    It is in the light of this that the announcement last Saturday by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo of a new producer price for cocoa at the opening of the 2023-2024 cocoa season came as a big relief not only for the farmers, but the country as a whole.

    The producer price has been increased from GH¢800 per 62.5 kg to GH¢1,308, representing a 63.5 per cent increment, which also translates to GH¢20,943 per tonne of raw cocoa beans.

    It is the highest price to be paid to cocoa farmers across West Africa in over 50 years.

    With the predicted stable prices above the 2,600 threshold, the government has given an assurance that it would continue to honour our farmers with good prices in the years ahead. Indeed, there are better days ahead.

    Also commendable is the government’s decision to open the cocoa season in September instead of the usual October in order for the farmers to meet all their financial obligations to their families, especially as schools reopen.

    The new price changes have been warmly received by the farmers.

    The spontaneous applause, jubilation and shouts of joy by cocoa farmers who were at the durbar at the announcement of the new prices were understandable.

    Nobody should begrudge the farmers for openly showing their excitement as they tried to mount the President’s podium to show their appreciation for the new price.

    The Daily Graphic sees the increase as a positive intervention by the government to enable cocoa farmers to increase their yields.

    The increase would not only motivate farmers to increase cocoa production, but also contribute to check the smuggling of cocoa beans to neighbouring countries.

    With this increment, the low incomes of cocoa farmers will be improved and the move will further attract the youth to the sector.

    This latest increment means that farmers can grow new cocoa and also employ more skilled workers on their farms, thereby addressing the unemployment situation the country is confronted with.

    For many years, cocoa prices have been subjected to the global market prices and so the decision by the government to increase the price of cocoa for the farmers is a major step to deal with the challenges head-on.

    As Ghanaians, we must work towards a sustainable cocoa economy that delivers increasing and continuous benefits to our dear farmers and all stakeholders in the value chain.

    As Ghanaians, we must work towards a sustainable cocoa economy that delivers increasing and continuous benefits to our dear farmers and all stakeholders in the value chain.