Vandals inducts new national executives

The Old Vandal Association (OVA), the alumni of the Commonwealth Hall of the University of Ghana on Tuesday sworn in Alhaji Razak El-Alawa, as its President for a fixed term of two years.

     Other executive members include Mr Isaac Nketiah Sarpong, Vice President, Mr Kwame Takyi, Secretary, Mr Francis Avornotse, Vice Secretary, Clement Apaak, Organiser and Mr Owusu Donkor, Treasurer.

     Justice Jones Dotse, a Supreme Court Judge and a Vandal, who inducted the new executives at the third induction ceremony in Accra, urged them to ensure that they criticise students of the hall when they go wrong.

     He said: “You must call them to order when they misbehave to show that we do not only intervene for them.”

     Justice Dotse called on members to support the new crop of executives to move the image and integrity of the association higher.

     He said there were so many impostors claiming to be vandals in the university community, noting that this should reawaken the urgency of knowing each other.

     He advised members of the OVA to be discipline since it was the key to success and engage themselves in all university activities.

     Dr Percival Kuranchie, Founding President of the OVA, charged the new leaders to take a look into the structure and organisation of the Vandals’ Day celebration since it was characterised with unaccepted activities by students of the hall.

     He said some students have taken the celebration as an excuse not to attend lecturers, noting that “studying is the most important reason why you (students) are in the university”.

     He entreated them to organise periodic lecturers on topics such as “vandalism and its importance” because vandals were supposed to be protective of each other.

     Alhaji El-Alawa, in a speech said: “I promise to continue in the tradition and l am sure you will give me all the necessary support to move our great association forward in the next couple of years.”

     He said all over the world alumni associations were formed to contribute significantly to the development of their alma mater through donations and sponsorships.

     He urged V-mates (members) to join hands as one body to contribute to the growth and development of the University of Ghana.

     Alhaji El-Alawa appealed to members to turn over a new leaf and rededicate themselves to the progress of the association.

     He also appealed to students of the commonwealth hall to exercise maximum restraint whenever they felt aggrieved.

     “You must try as much as possible not to take the law into your hands but should rather seek redress through various channels available…,” he added.

     He called on them to prove to the outside world that even though “we call ourselves vandals, we are not destroyers but we only try to fight for our rights”.

Tullow to list on the Ghana Stock Exchange

The management of Tullow Oil Ghana Limited, has announced plans to list its shares on the Ghana Stock Exchange (GSE) with an offering of 4,000,000 shares in Ghana.   

     The offer of Tullow’s shares on the GSE would give Ghanaian investors the opportunity to own shares in Tullow as well as benefit from the company’s operations across its global portfolio of assets.

     In addition, it would further demonstrate Tullow's long-term commitment to Africa, especially Ghana.

     Mr Dai Jones, President and General Manager of Tullow Ghana Limited, who announced at a press conference on Tuesday, said the company had a total of about 900 million shares.

     He said the share price for the offer would soon be announced and a prospectus published on June 13th for individuals interested to apply through IC Securities brokerage firm from June 13th to July 4th this year.

     He said Tullow is a lead player in the Jubilee field, which has enabled Ghana to become an oil producer, adding that plans were advanced to list shares in Uganda, where it had also made major discoveries.

     Mr Dai noted that the company would be celebrating its golden jubilee in the oil and gas exploration.

     Mr Ike Duker, Executive Chairman of the company, said GSE was chosen because Tullow has a long term strategy and track records of investing in Africa.

     He said Ghana represented one of Tullow’s most valuable assets across its portfolio, adding that the listing would indicate how much the company value Africans as potential investors in Tullow.

     Mrs Rosalind Kainyah, Vice President External Affairs, said the company had established a social enterprise fund to support community projects such as health, education, environment among other issues.

     She said some of the funds generated through the share would be used to award scholarships to engineers in the local oil and gas sector to upgrade their capacity.

     She said local and national businesses would also be supported as part of the company’s cooperate social responsibility

“Heroes Fund” not intended for political violence - NDC Chairman

Dr Kwebena Adjei, National Chairman of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), has said the “Heroes Fund Foundation” was not to stimulate political violence against any opposition party.

     The Foundation registered as a non-profit political organisation was to assist supporters and loyalists, who have encountered misfortune in the course of service to the party.

     The Chairman said this at a fund raising and dinner dance held in Accra at the weekend to support members, who have suffered and continued to suffer in the discharge of their duties to the NDC party.

     The event was also used to commemorate the 19th anniversary of the party.

     He said the operations of the Foundation would also take care of non-members who have fallen victims of political violence in the country.

     Dr Adjei called on party faithful to support the initiative to be able to assist the rather unfortunate members.

     Mr James Victor Gbeho, Chairman of the Foundation, said the NDC party had been sensitive to the needs and wellbeing of its supporters.

     Contributions from members of Parliament and other party functional would also support the Fund.

     Meanwhile, various party members including President Mills and Vice President John Mahamah have pledged to contribute to the Fund.

NDC launches fund to assist victims of political violence

The National Democratic Congress (NDC) has launched the “Heroes Fund Foundation” to assist party supporters and loyalists who have encountered misfortunes in the course of their service to the party.

     The foundation is a non-profit making political organisation which would be governed by a seven-member board of trustees chaired by Ambassador Victor Gbeho.

     Other members include; Mr Kamel Noshie, Vice Chairman, Mr Johnson Asiedu Nketiah, Mr Kwesi Attah, Mr Yaw Boamah, Ms Doris Addo and Mr Simon Mawutor as the administrator.

     Mr Noshie at a press conference in Accra on Friday said the members would be entrusted with the administration, formulation of policies, raising and disbursement of funds.

     “They will be expected to raise funds from both local and international sources, which would then be invested in profitable securities and other income generating ventures,” he added.

     He said complaints would be heard from party members who in the past devoted a sizable part of their lives to the services of the party but who today had become either victims or lost their lives in their service to the party.

     Mr Noshie said the operations of the fund would be autonomous from the day-to-day running of the party, noting that, “the main purpose of this office will be to address some of the numerous complaints lodged daily at the main party headquarters.”

     According to him, the foundation would consider proposals for supporting people engaged in small scale ventures, training of unskilled labour and payment of medical bills in certain critical situations.

     He noted that the establishment of the fund was part of the party’s social responsibility and in line with its social democratic credentials.

     Mr Johnson Asiedu Nketiah, General Secretary of the NDC, said the establishment of the fund was conceptualized by the functional executive committee of the party in response to emerging challenges faced by the party.

     “Our party since its formation nineteen years ago has thrived by and large on set backs of volunteers, driven by the spirit of nationalism and patriotism and the urge to leave the country a better place than we came to meet,” he said.

     He said there were many individuals within the party who had devoted the best part of their youthful life to the party to the neglect of their own economic and social development.

     Testimonies were taken from supporters who had suffered political violence in one way or the other with some appealing to delegates to vote wisely in the forthcoming national delegates’ congress to elect a creditable flag bearer for the party.

Expatriation of treated mental patients is successful - Dr Osei

The management of Accra Psychiatric Hospital has successfully repatriated the first batch of 30 cured inmates out of the 600 due for repatriation by the end of June this year.

     The exercise which is to be conducted on regional basis, started from Greater Accra Region and its environs on Wednesday, January 19.

     Dr Akwesi Osei, Chief Psychiatrist of Ghana Health Service, disclosed this to the Ghana News Agency on an inspection tour to some of the facilities at the hospital in Accra on Friday.

     Facilities toured included the wards for men and women, the laboratory, VIP ward and a special school for the mentally retarded. 

     He explained that all the patients were taken to their homes, except for five patients whose families came for them, while two could not locate their homes due to old age and the development of their localities.  

     Dr Osei said management had arranged for regular check-ups by the community psychiatrics to monitor the exercise in their communities.

     He said some of the families were happy to re-unite with their relatives after a long time and expressed the hope that this would continue to make them fully integrated into the society.

     Dr Osei noted that the current population of the hospital was about 1,200 but the institution was built to accommodate 600 inmates, saying by the end of the exercise the appropriate number would be maintained.

     “The next batch of patients will go home in two weeks time,” Dr Osei said.

     He announced that government had released money for the construction of a morgue for 80 corpses at the hospital, adding that this could also be commercialized to generate income.

     Mr Ebenezer Krampah Aidoo, Biomedical Scientist in charge of the hospital’s laboratory, in an interview with the GNA, appealed for more laboratory equipment to enhance effective investigation into the cases of mental patients.

     “Staffing is one of our major problems at the hospital laboratory because of the stigma associated with psychiatry,” he said.

     Mr Isaac Benjamin Roosevelt Gadotor, Headmaster of the Accra Psychiatric Hospital Special Schools for the Mentally Retarded, said the aim of the institution was to address severe and profound attitudes of mental patients.

     He said most of the patients who were children, could not speak and that it would require patience to deal with them.

     Mr Gadotor appealed to corporate institutions and individuals to assist management of the school by providing infrastructure to cater for the inmates and to develop their skills to make them self-sufficient later in life.

Second batch of cured mental patients repatriated on Wednesday

The management of Accra Psychiatric Hospital on Wednesday repatriated the second batch of 30 cured mental patients out of the estimated 600 due for repatriation by the end of June.

     They would be sent to their families at Odorkor, Mamprobi, Teshie, Russia Tabora, Taifa Post Office, Nima, Madina and Bubiashie all in the Greater Accra Region. 

     Dr Akwesi Osei, Chief Psychiatrist of Ghana Health Service, disclosed this to the Ghana News Agency during the departure of the patients in Accra.

     He said stigmatisation associated with psychiatry could not be ignored because treatment of mental illness was supposed to be undertaken in the communities where they reside so that they could easily integrate after their treatment.

     “When the right measures for treating mental patients are put in place then stigmatisation will be a thing of the past,” he said.

      Dr Osei explained that when the Mental Health Bill is passed into law, it would enable all the regional hospitals to have a psychiatric facility where mental illness could be addressed.

     He said management had arranged for regular check-ups by the community psychiatrics to monitor the exercise in their communities in addition to monthly reviews at the hospital.

     Dr Osei said with the experience the authorities had with the first batch, he was hopeful there would be no problem with the second batch.

     He said before they were sent home, community psychiatrics in communities were notified to locate and arrange with family members for their arrival in order not to take them by surprise.

     Dr Osei said that the current population of the hospital was about 1,200 but the institution was built to accommodate 600 patients, saying by the end of the exercise the appropriate number would be maintained.

     “The next batch of cured patients will go home in two weeks time,” Dr Osei, said.

     Mrs Amina Bakari, National Coordinator for Community Psychiatry, said it was envisaged that 10 per cent of the cured patients would return to the hospital due to how they were treated by the family and community.

     Most of them told the GNA that they were anxious to return home to meet their families because of the long stay in the hospital, while others were calm and unwillingly to talk.

     The RevJames Mensah, Chaplain of the hospital, led them to sing praises and worship before leaving.

     He advised them to read the word of God always and have faith in all their endeavours.

     Rev Mensah appealed to religious organisations to support the management with Bible literature to help in the spread of the gospel.

Jazz concert launched in Accra

A musical concert, dubbed: “New Musical Express”, to introduce Jazz music into the Ghanaian music industry has been launched in Accra, on Wednesday.

     Mr Amand Alan, Organiser of the event, said the purpose was to promote jazz music for music lovers in the country.

     He said the concert would feature both local and international music icons. The occasion would also be used to pay tributes to global music legends.

     He said the first edition is slated for Friday, 24 June, and expressed the hope that it would increase Ghanaians interest in Jazz music.

     He called for stakeholders support in the continuous promotion of Jazz music in the country.

     Mr Abraham Davis, Jazz musician, said the event would also be used to unearth young talents interested in jazz music.

     “It would be an exciting experience performing with Ghanaian musicians and expressed the hope that the impact of the concert and jazz music would be appreciated by all”.

     He urged musician to put up live performances because it promotes the artists in their professional career.

     The event will be held every six weeks.

GNA

Jayee College to introduce oil and gas programme

Jayee University College (JUC) is to introduce a programme on Oil and Gas management to expose graduates to opportunities and strengths in the industry.

The Oil and Gas programme is part of new programmes the college proposed for the 2010 academic year, including undergraduate and post-graduate programmes.

Mr John Emmanuel Donkoh, President of JUC, announced this at the 5th Matriculation ceremony, of the college in Accra, on Saturday.

About 364 students, made up 216 female and 148 male, were admitted to offer various Degree and Diploma courses.

The undergraduate programmes included Bachelor of Science (BSc) in Hotel and Restaurant Management, BSc in Project Management, BSc in political Science and BSc in Psychology.

The Post-graduate programmes are Master of Business Administration in Women Development and Human Rights and Master of Business Administration in Project Management.

JUC, which is affiliated to the University of Education, Winneba, started as Jayee Secretarial School with 30 students but currently has a total student population of 900.

Mr Donkoh said the school authorities would continue to improve on the infrastructure and other facilities, through "the renovation and upgrading of our lecture halls to make teaching and learning more conductive for our lecturers and students."

He cautioned students on examination malpractices, saying that, the college would not condone any overt or covert malpractices, either emanating from staff or students.

He encouraged the students, saying that, they have come to a research university that builds on industry, and a place where the faculty would spur them on to unearth their hidden potentials and also strive for knowledge and skills.

He called on parents of the students to support the institute to realise its cherished targets and vision of making education a pleasurable but remunerative venture.

Professor Mawutor Avoke, Pro Vice Chancellor, University of Education, Winneba, said "we are encouraged by the growing interest of students in our business administration and communication science courses and the steady increase in the yearly admissions."

He said as a training institution, they were challenged to give students the best so that they would not fall short of the expectation of their employers.

He entreated the students to be disciplined and urged them to avoid hooliganism, drug abuse and being promiscuous

Use computer social networks for networking opportunities - Prof Quaynor

Professor Nii Quaynor, Chairman of the Internet Society, ISOC Ghana Chapter, has called for more education on the uses and benefits of computer social network sites for the development of the country.

     He said Ghanaians were now known to be involving in social networking at the expense of productivity.

     Prof Quaynor made the call at the first quarterly meeting of ISOC Ghana Chapter on the theme, “Social Networks Benefits and Challenges” in Accra on Friday.

     He said there should be a national policy to regulate the participation of users of social networking sites.

     “Users should be made to regulate the content messages they put on the sites,” he said.

     He cautioned the users of those networking sites to be careful with information they posted on the walls, because it was in the public domain and so anything being put there should be acceptable to the public.

     Prof Quaynor noted that there were numerous benefits that could be derived from social networking but that it would depend on the individual’s use.

     He urged the youth to use the social tool to network for opportunities rather than mere friendship and communication.

     “Parents should not leave their children to the mercy of the internet because the internet could be destructive and productive as well,” he added.

     Mr Eric Akumiah, the former General Secretary of ISOC Ghana, in a presentation on the topic: “Emerging Issues: impact of Social Networks”, said Social networks were the fourth most popular online activity ahead of personal emails in the world.

     He said apart from using it for communication purposes, the social networks were not having any positive impact on the users in the country at the moment.

     He said these sites could be used effectively to develop so many aspects of the national life.

     Mr Akumiah urged the users, especially the younger ones, to use face book particularly responsibly, since Twitter and Linkedin were not too common in the country.

     He also advocated for content policy to be introduced to regulate some of the activities of the users.

     Giving the example of Brazil, Mr Akumiah said authorities in that country had to use legislation and regulatory framework to check the activities of users as well as site providers.

     Participants at the meeting expressed views on the privacy of users and also how some of the users abused the sites for unprofitable gains.

ISOC to roll out ICT training for journalists

The Internet Society, Ghana Chapter (ISOC Ghana), is to institute an Information Communication Technology (ICT) training programme for Journalists in the country to equip them with knowledge on internet systems.

     Mr Eric Akumiah, the outgoing General Secretary of ISOC Ghana, said since most journalists did not know much about the internet their reportage on issues relating to information technology was rather inadequate.

     The Society made the observation at the Annual Social Gathering which also served as an awards night for deserving executives in Accra on Saturday.

     Mr Akumiah said the Society had put in place a strategic plan to provide reliable information about the internet to the general public through publications.

     He said the organisation was also dedicated to ensuring the open development, evolution and use of the internet for the benefit of people throughout the world.

     “We provide leadership in addressing issues confronting the future of the internet in the world, particularly Ghana,” he added.

     He announced that the Society was planning an awards scheme for players in the industry to promote excellence and competition.

     Mr William Tevie, Director General of the National Information Technology Agency, in an interview with the Ghana News Agency said his outfit was implementing effectively the e-governance project to connect all government agencies onto the net.

     He added that schools, hospitals and police stations in all the regions would be enrolled onto the project by the end of the year for them to improve on their services.

     He said Ghana was collaborating with countries like Senegal and Nigeria to introduce the “Regional Educational Net”, a system that would enhance the sharing of educational information among them.

     Mr Tevie also noted that with the aid of the Ghana Academy of Research Network, 10 Universities in the country were being connected to be able to share research information as and when the need arose.

     Nii Quaynor, Chairman of ISOC Ghana, said in the past ICT development was slow because there were no structures and policies to monitor its operation, and thanked policy makers for instituting the requisite policies now.

     He urged members to encourage people to develop more in the area of ICT and also appealed to fellow experts to come together and address the issue of internet fraud.

     The Society inaugurated its new executives who would serve a two-year term and also awarded deserving members.

     The ISOC is a non-profit organisation which provides leadership in internet related standards, education and policy formation in the ICT industry.

International Laboratory Day launched in Accra

The Ghana Association of Biomedical Laboratory Scientists (GABMLS), on Monday launched a-week-long activities to mark the International Laboratory Day celebration, which falls on 15 April this year.

    The activities include media interaction across the country, symposium, medical screening at Oshie-man and other parts of the country and a dinner dance. The celebration will be on the theme: “The Role of Biomedical Laboratory Scientists in the Global Management of Communicable Diseases”.

    Mr Ekow Binney, Director Clinical Laboratory Unit of the Ghana Health Service, who launched the Day, noted that Biomedical Laboratory Scientists were the foundation of any modern medical care delivery in every country.

    “Without them, testing, diagnosis and treatment among others could not be possible in medical circles,” he added.

    He noted that laboratory services had a critical role on health care delivery in the country and much importance had to be attached to the profession.

    He advocated a national policy that would take care of biomedical laboratory scientists in terms of their challenges and the future of the profession.

    Mr Binney said there should be the establishment of an advisory body to advise the Ministry of Health on concerns of Biomedical Laboratory Scientists in the country.

    He urged the national executives to institute a regular training programme for its members to be abreast with best practices.  

    Mr Prince Sodoke Amuzu, President of GABMLS, said the Biomedical Laboratory Scientists Day was to highlight specified health problems with the view of the profession.

    In addition, he said, it was to promote the profession of Biomedical Laboratory Scientists and their role as key personnel within research, diagnosis and treatment of patients.

    “…the work of biomedical laboratory scientists had to happen before drug or vaccine development can proceed,” he added.

    He commended the Ministry of Health for how far they had handled the management of communicable diseases in the country.

    On communicable disease management, Mr Amuzu recommended that tests should be available at all primary healthcare centres, H1N1 influenza tests should be available at all regional and district hospitals, and tests should be performed by qualified laboratory personnel only.

    “Sadly enough the National Health Insurance Scheme is encouraging the running of what they call ‘Basic Tests’ by non-laboratory personnel through their new approaches to cut healthcare cost. This obviously is at the expense of quality reliable diagnosis,” Mr Amuzu said.

     He explained that there should be a legal framework to protect patient’s interest from quack and unscrupulous individuals, who were bent on taking advantage of “a lawless environment”, to enrich themselves to the detriment of Ghanaians.

Ghanaians thrill by re-enactment of declaration of independence

History came alive at the old polo grounds, now the Kwame Nkrumah Mausoleum on the eve of the country’s independence anniversary, when the Ghana Actors Guild re-enacted the declaration of the day.

     The grounds was the exact geographical location where Dr Nkrumah and stalwarts of the Convention Peoples’ Party clad in smock, declared the country free from British colonial rule on March 5.

     The was a narration of the country’s history from 1948-1956 to the massive audience that witnessed the occasion, which ushered in the 54th independence anniversary celebration on the theme: “Discipline and Hard Work, Essential Prerequisite for Better Ghana.”

     David Dontoh, an ace actor, who played the role of Osagyefo Dr Kwame Nkrumah, thundered the famous declaration message by the first President: “At long last the battle has ended; Ghana our beloved country is free for ever….”

     The speech, which lasted for about 10 minutes, attracted protracted cheers from the jubilant crowd who had occupied every space at the mausoleum, adorned with the national colours.  

     The event did not go without a cultural display by a number of cultural troupes who sang and danced to the traditional tunes of the country’s various ethnic groups.

     The sombre sky overlooking the coastal line of the mausoleum and the

Independence Square

was brightened up by fire works display by personnel of the Ghana Armed Forces, compelling the mesmerised crowd to clap and shout despite the deafening noise the bomb-like sound of “boom-boom” was making.

     Mr James Agyenim-Boateng, Deputy Minister of Tourism, who addressed the event, said the theme for this year’s celebration was significant because it was through discipline and hard work “that our founding fathers brought the country to where it is now”.

    “As we re-enact and celebrate our independence every year, let us direct our thought towards the reasons for which our forbearers struggled to liberate us,” he added.

     The Deputy Minister noted that the country was full of citizens who were hospital ready to embrace democratic principles and ideals and to uphold freedom and justice.

     A cross section of Ghanaians who spoke to the Ghana News Agency after the event said they were proud and felt honoured as citizens of the country.

     A man who gave his name as Gordon said he was grateful to God for keeping him alive to witness “this great occasion”.

     Michel, a UK citizen said the ceremony made him wished he was a Ghanaian.

     Some cheerful looking tourists said the event fulfilled their agenda to visit Ghana to enjoy themselves.

     The programme was put together by Radio Gold, an Accra radio station and the Actors Guild.

IEA proposes national dev't plan for successive govts

The Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA), a think tank, has proposed a long-term national development plan for successive governments to monitor and evaluate implementation of policies.
The Institute said the plan should cover a 10 year period out of which medium term plans should be developed and implemented.
    This was announced at a press conference on Monday to review the 2011 Budget Statement by the Government.
     Dr Kwadwo Tutu, Senior Fellow at IEA said the already established National Development Planning Commission must be a professional entity with the position of the Chairman being competitive.
     He said all political parties should be represented at the Commission. Districts, regional and metropolitans, he added should also be involved in the development of the plan.
     On education, Dr Tutu said, the idea of mobile libraries should not be restricted to distance learning students at the tertiary level alone but also to the primary and the Junior High Schools (JSS) especially in the rural areas.
      He said the enrolment target in the primary level was commendable but noted that quality education at the primary and JSS levels in the public schools was very important.
     "This is appalling and the reliance on school governing committees will not work if education officers, inspectors and district assemblies are not made accountable by the Ministry of Education," he added.
     Dr Tutu said instead of this, school authorities should be tasked to produce better results at the end of every academic year, which would be followed by intensive supervision.
     In the National Health Insurance programme, he urged Government to expand coverage to all mental patients as well as equip and expand the mental hospitals.
    He said the one-time premium payment promised by the Government was not practicable, saying "if government wants to cover some percentage of vulnerable people then premium should be paid yearly based on the cost and changing situations."
     Dr John Kwebena Kwakye, a Senior Economist at IEA said the oil find should modernize agriculture through the value chain approach and not to dwindle like what happened in Ghana's neighboring countries.
    He urged government to effectively and efficiently use the loans it has and would acquire for the intended purposes because the public debt was increasing.

Oil production will influence future inflation in the country - Dr Kwakye

The Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA) said on Thursday that oil production would be the biggest influence on inflation in the country in future.

     “Given the spending pressures expected from the oil revenue, achieving low single-digit inflation as envisaged would entail exceedingly tight monetary policy, most probably in the form of high and exchange change,” it said.

     Dr John Kwebena Kwakye, a Senior Economist at IEA, said this in a presentation at a round table on the theme: “Assessment of the inflation trends, management, and macroeconomic effects in Ghana: Examining the cost and benefits of achieving low inflation” in Accra.

     The discussion was aimed at shedding some light on the issues, especially on the oil find that has generated debate in the country lately.

     The discussion also examined the possible reasons behind recent fast pace of disinflation and its potential macroeconomic cost on the country and the likely causes of future inflation.

     He said the fiscal dominance and cyclical food deficits had been the main factors behind the persistent inflation in the country, adding that achieving disinflation, therefore, required that the underlying causes were addressed.

     Dr Kwakye said inflation management had been less effective because of the intractability of the underlying causes, saying the decision by the Central Bank to move to inflation targeting had not helped matters much.

     “Fiscal austerity has helped recent disinflation, but could also have contributed to the slowdown in the economy, especially in 2009,” he added.

     Dr Kwakye also recognised the important role that the low food inflation had played in recent disinflation, pointing out that without the factor, overall inflation would not have reached single-digit inflation by now.

     The economist noted that low stable inflation should be considered to be beneficial to growth and employment in the long run. This notwithstanding, there could be a short-term cost in rapid disinflation.

African governments urged to mobilise resources for development

– Dr John Kwakye, Senior Economist at the Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA), has called on African governments to mobilize resources to support their developmental programmes to reduce their dependence on unpredictable and burdensome external resources.

     “Developing domestic capital markets should be a priority as a vehicle for mobilizing resources to fund infrastructure projects and projects and programs of corporations and municipalities,” he said.

     Dr Kwakye made the called during a roundtable on the theme: “Mitigating the Costs of Washington Consensus Policies: Tit bits for Ghana and other African Countries” in Accra on Wednesday.

     He said the underlying philosophy of the Washington Consensus (WC) policies was the superiority of the markets and private enterprise over systems characterized by economic controls and “statism”.

     “WC policies, however, come with costs in the sense that, despite their claim to efficiency, markets do not always work perfectly and do not always deliver maximum economic and social welfare,” he explained.

      For this reason, Dr Kwakye urged African governments to intervene directly to correct the associated market failings and to mitigate the socio-economic costs.

      He said WC policy advice to African countries included: promotion of specialisation in production and trade; promotion of private enterprise generally in the economy; elimination of state subsidies, particularly to industry and agriculture; external trade liberalization; liberalization of financial markets; macroeconomic retrenchment and liberalization of product markets.

      He noted that African governments needed to manage economic liberalization policies prescribed to them so as to correct their market failings and mitigate the associated costs.

      Dr Kwakye said often African governments go to the negotiation table ill-prepared and, therefore, ready to accept whatever measures thrown to them.

      He urged African governments to put their case forcefully across as to why a particular WC policy was flawed in part or in whole. 

      Dr Kwakye suggested that state intervention should include: selective privatizations, targeted subsidies and selective trade “protections,” “regulation” of financial markets, macro-economic restructuring, and “regulation” of product markets.

      Mr Seth Tekper, Deputy Minister of Finance and Economic Planning, commended IEA for choosing such a theme for discussion and expressed the hope that governments would take lessons from the suggestions

Journalists challenged to engage in “enterprise journalism”

Ms Abena Yeboah, Assistant Lecturer, School of Communication Studies, University of Ghana, has appealed to media practitioners to engage in “enterprise journalism” to allow for more coverage of women sensitization issues.

     She said this format of story generation allowed for in-depth exploration of all angles to an issue, thereby drawing in more women and their perspectives.

     Ms Yeboah said this at a day’s gender sensitization forum to commission a research finding by the Ghana Media Standards Improvement Project (GMSIP),on “Media monitoring study on the coverage of men and women in Ghanaian Newspapers in 2010” in Ho on Monday.

     The forum was organized by GMSIP in collaboration with the Ghana Journalists Association and the Media Foundation for West Africa, with sponsorship from the Royal Danish Embassy.

     She said the media should seek out and report on more women to integrate them into national discourses.

     Ms Yeboah said newspaper content was mostly generated from routine sources (scheduled events) and hardly from enterprise sources (investigative).

     The findings revealed that women in Ghana attracted 15 percent media coverage in 2010, compared with 85 percent for men during the same period.

     She said “naturally, due to women’s under-representation, they lag behind in all the news topics coded”.

     Majority of the women covered in the media in 2010 were either politicians or government officials, with labourers and unemployed attracting no coverage, the research stated.

     She said out of the six newspapers studied, the state media appeared to be the worst culprits, with as many as seven male stories to one for females

     “Attention should therefore be given to equipping reporters with the needed skills to generate their own stories,” Ms Yeboah added.

     She urged reporters to consciously draw out the gendered perspectives of the issues they cover as this would require that they include women’s perspectives.

     “Journalists (male and female) should be trained and sensitized on issues of gender relations between men and women to enable them appreciate problem areas and report on them appropriately”.

     Ms Yeboah said female reporters tended to report on more females than male reporters and suggested that media owners and editors increase their female intake into the newsrooms as this might provide avenues for more female newsmakers.

     She urged the media to draw out gender perspectives of issues they cover and report more on women to integrate them into national discourses

     Ms Ajoa Yeboah-Afari, GMSIP Coordinator, said the forum was to create gender awareness in the media.

     She said there was still media coverage that tended to propagate ‘colo’ ideas about gender roles.

  Ms Yeboah-Afari said a gender sensitization media could help change the society in order to improve on gender issues

Democracy in the country can be strengthened - IEA

Dr Michael Ofori-Mensah, Policy Analyst at the Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA) has said that Ghana’s democracy can be strengthened if the shortcomings experienced over the years are addressed by taking into consideration the concerns of the vulnerable and marginalised groups.

     He said after 17 years of operation, Ghana’s Constitution has faced a number of challenges and that it was important that the voiceless in society made inputs that would address the short falls in the current constitution.

     Dr Ofori- Mensah was speaking at a forum organised by the IEA in collaboration with the United Nations Democracy Fund in Tamale on the theme: “Giving Voice to the Voiceless in Ghana’s Constitution Review Process”.

     The forum was aimed at soliciting the views of the grassroots on the constitution review process and also to broaden the scope of participation in the process.

     He said the IEA was currently undertaking research and advocacy on certain provisions of the constitution that in its view required critical examination.

    “In our view the best way to address the concerns of the women and marginalised groups is to create the opportunity for gender advocates and representatives of vulnerable groups to speak to themselves,” Mr Ofori-Mensah added.

    The forum would also add value to the effect of the Constitution Review Commission, trumpeting the voice of the vulnerable groups in the process, strengthening, analysing and researching the basis of reform proposal and building the capacities of other stakeholders to participate in the process.

    It also tends to discuss the Executive, Legislature, Judiciary, Decentralisation and local government and Chieftaincy, among others.

    He said at the end of the forum, participants, especially the vulnerable, would be able to adequately articulate their concerns for inclusion in the Constitution Review Process.

    Kpan-Naa Mohammed Bawah, Member of the Council of State, suggested that a broad-based approach was needed to address the shortfalls in the constitution and urged participants to take advantage of the opportunity provided to spell out areas of the Constitution which in their view needed review.

    Participants at the forum included people with disability, women’s groups, religious leaders, traditional authority, heads of department and NGOs.

Human resource essential in petroleum industry - Deputy Minister

Mr Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, Deputy Minister of Energy on Thursday, said aside capital and technological know-how, developed human resource was the most important requirement of a well managed petroleum industry.

      He noted that human resource was used to harness both the capital and the technological know-how to produce results in the safest and most environmentally friendly manner possible.

      Mr Armah Kofi-Buah was speaking at the opening of a two-day workshop for stakeholders in the oil and gas industry organised by Getenergy, a non-profit making organisation in Accra.

      He said the expertise of Getenergy would add immensely to the existing pool of knowledge and capacity in the oil and gas resource management and exploitation.

      He announced that there were efforts to develop petroleum related skills and competence in the polytechnics, technical schools and vocational institutions.

      Mr Armah Kofi-Buah lauded the efforts of the Ministry of Education and the Council for Technical and Vocational Education Training for their contribution towards  oil and gas education in the country.

     He also commended the efforts of some international oil companies operating in the country for assisting to develop local human resource for the petroleum industry, adding that Ghanaians look forward for assistance in acquiring the necessary international certification to make them employable in oil companies.

     Professor Ernest Aryeety, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ghana, said Ghana and other oil and gas producing countries in the region must ensure that they have the skills and expertise among their own nationals in charge of production.

     “This requires a high level of collaboration between the universities, colleges, national and international oil companies”, he added.

     He said areas of collaboration should be aimed at all levels, including research and professional development in science and engineering, technical and managerial knowledge and business and finance.

      Mr Phil Andrews, Chief Executive Officer of Getenergy, said the introduction of a detailed local content policy would set out the framework for international oil companies operating in the country to invest significantly in the delivery of training, education and skills programmes for the local people.

     He said the training and education on oil and gas would enable the local people to effectively participate in the development of their country’s resources.

      Mr Andrews observed that the absence of training programmes, education and involvement of the local people in the oil and gas process has led to disenfranchisement and civil unrest in other oil and gas producing countries.

      He noted that 15 countries including Norway, Nigeria, Gabon, France, Equatorial Guinea, and Angola, among others, were taking part in the workshop and expressed the hope that the experiences would be share among the various stakeholders.

     Participants at the workshop include the University of Ghana, Regional Martine University, Tullow Ghana Limited, Ghana oil-drilling academy and consultancy, Ho Polytechnic, and Takoradi Polytechnic among others.

Harvest Praise 2011 ignites Ghana/South Africa Gospel Musical Alliance

The Harvest Praise 2011, a Good Friday musical ministration in Accra, has ignited a gospel musical alliance between Ghana and South Africa, a disposition to strengthen Christian bilateral engagement between the two nations.

     The stage was set by the Evergreen Harvest Gospel Choir that sung harmonious divinely inspired songs, which charged the audience unto the dancing floor, to celebrate the Good Friday chorography.

     The youthful audience engaged in power, physic and gymnastic dancing and took control of the gangway and frontage of the platform, whilst the adults balanced the divinely charged ambiance with slow pace dancing and movements.

     Harvest Praise, the most patronized gospel show during Easter, was organized by Harvest International Ministries, on the theme: “Amazing Grace” to offer gospel musicians an opportunity to fulfil the Great Commission - evangelize through gospel music.  

     The shouts, enthusiasm and gesticulation of either cloths or handkerchiefs, ushered anointed South African gospel legend, Reverend Benjamin Dube, unto the stage, and he was energized to respond quickly with powerful soul inspiring songs.

     Backed by a four-member group, Rev Dube hypnotized the large audience with heavy South African accentuated songs including “Ngiyakuthanda Moy,” “Ongcwele,” “Thum,” “Imvuselelo Kimi Nkosi”.

     Simply put heaven came down as the South African group increased the tempo of the show with divinely inspired and cross-over hit songs; “When I Think About Jesus and Holy Spirit”.

     Encouraged by the unceasing applause and dancing, Rev Dube dramatically changed the cadence of the show with animated sounds, calculated movement and gestures to the admiration of the audience.

     The Ghanaian gospel sensation, Cecilia Marfo bemused the charged gospel lovers and demonstrated to the South African Gospel team that Ghanaians too can sing with power and emotions as she perform local songs including; “Wokora Woye Odehye,” “Yesu Adi Nkunim,” and “Afunumuba”.

     The unyielding good old Daughters of Glorious Jesus with their unique powerful voices were not left out of the show as they provided the balancing tempo with soothing worship songs. 

     Described as epitome of inspiration, excellence and professionalism in the gospel music industry, Daughters of Glorious Jesus re-enacted their songs including “Anwannwa Din,” “Mebo Yesu Din Daa,” “Mesom Awurade Daa,” “Daughters Praise 1,” and “Trimude”.

    Rev. Fitzgerald Odonkor, Head Pastor of Harvest Chapel International, called on Ghanaians and Christians in particular to forgive those who sinned against them to give meaning to Easter that marked the suffering and death of Jesus Christ.

     He explained that the cross on which Jesus Christ was crucified, signified reconciliation, power and amazing grace.

     Rev. Fitzgerald Odonkor asked Christians to be humble to enable them to receive blessings from God, who loves them.

    He advised that “Parents must reconcile with their children, friends with friends, neighbours with neighbours to give meaning to Easter.

    “As the world and all its systems continue to fail humankind and as our earth is assailed by all manner of calamities from devastating earthquakes, wars and environmental catastrophes, it is time to reach out for grace, amazing grace of God that will never fail”.