‘Adjust to legal challenges’ CJ tells Lawyers

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September 18, 2013

The Chief Justice, Georgina Theodora Wood has urged legal practitioners to adjust to the new legal challenges posed by the Public Private Partnership (PPP) approach to addressing Ghana’s infrastructure deficits.

She was addressing the annual general conference of the Ghana Bar Association (GBA) in Ho under the theme, “The role of the Legal Profession in developing Public Private Partnership regulatory framework for national development.”

“In effect, legal education and legal profession must appreciate, even more the relevance of and interplay between economics, finance, project financing and execution and societal needs.”

The PPP as defined by the national policy document is “a contractual arrangement between a public entity and private sector party, with clear agreement on shared objectives for the provision of public infrastructure and services traditionally provided by the public sector.”

“As Lawyers, it is imperative, that we acquaint ourselves with this Policy document,” she advised.

Chief Justice Wood said “unquestionably there will be a strong need for lawyers who understand the principles of intellectual property, contract, regulatory and tax laws that apply in the process chain.”

She urged Lawyers to acquaint themselves with the draft provisions and make relevant input before it finally becomes law.

Chief Justice Wood said there were several PPP related laws in Ghana, mostly un-coordinated, creating uncertainties and inconsistent approaches to participation by the private sector likely to “affect the appetite of private sector partners to participate in PPP projects in Ghana.”

Chief Justice Wood therefore recommended that the draft PPP law must provide for “critical issues” as the definition, objectives, and guiding principles to be followed in developing its scope and application.

Mr Nene Abayaateye, President of the GBA, said Private Public Partnerships and other forms of co-operation between the private sector and national governments have been used around the world to develop.

He said as those who help design the regulatory framework for such transactions, those who prosecute, defend and adjudicate those laws, the legal profession constitutes the lynchpin at getting the public sector regulatory framework right and assuring successful PPPs.

Mr Abayaateye said weak regulatory framework, and high levels of corruption have combined to procure many judgment debts against the state in the fourth republic.

“The root of this national canker is political and bureaucratic behavior.”

He said systems that promote transparency and accountability must be designed coupled with a commitment to deal with the corruption by those in authority.

Agortime Kente festival (Agbamevorza) climaxed

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Kwadwo Duodu

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September 18, 2013

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Dr. Wampah, BoG Governor

The chiefs and people of Agortime traditional area in the Agortime-Ziope district of the Volta region have celebrated their annual Kente Festival (Agbamevorza) in a grand style.

The weeklong festival was climaxed with a grand durbar last weekend under the theme, ‘conserving our cultural heritage’.

The Guest of honour, Dr Henry Kofi Wampah, Governor of the Bank of Ghana in an address said the Ghanaian economy has over-relied on unprocessed agricultural products and minerals over the years, hence the paradigm shift towards the non-traditional export sector.

He therefore called on all communities who had similar products like Kente to explore unfolding opportunities by repackaging the kente industry and venture into the international market.

He said the government was committed to removing all obstacles hindering the export sector and that it was important for manufacturers of Kente to take advantage of new opportunities to enhance the industry.

Dr Wampah also asked Ghanaians to patronise more made-in-Ghana products, since their preference for imported goods did not only enhance the economies of foreign countries but also caused a loss in foreign exchange earnings for Ghana.

Mr Nii Lantey Vanderpuye, Deputy Minister for Trade and Industry, in his address announced that handicraft villages would be established in the Upper East, Central, Volta and the Eastern regions very soon and that land earmarked for one of such projects at Agotime-Kpetoe should be protected.

He also said the ministry would help to inject necessary innovations in the kente industry to improve on rate of production, adding that efforts would be made to patent Kente as a national asset.

The Volta Regional Minister, Mr Joseph Nii Laryea Afotey-Agbo, said Kente was a matchless indigenous fabric and a very unique trademark that separated Ghanaians from the multitudes of citizens across Africa and the world at large.

He said there was the need to assess the strengths of the industry to generate more employment opportunities for the youth and that the people of the Volta Region must boost and establish their type of Kente as a brand for the region and the nation at large.

The M.P for the area, Mrs Juliana Azumah-Mensah, urged the traditional authorities to release enough land for the establishment of the kente village project and added that they should be prepared to add value to improve their products.

The (Konor) paramount chief of the area Nene Neur Keteku III, in his welcome address said, expressed regret that most contemporary weaving communities no longer paid particular attention to the aesthetic and cultural values of the Kente cloth and urged them to uphold the values.

The event was chaired by the Volta Region representative on the Council of State and Paramount Chief of the Ziope Traditional Area, Togbe Binah Lawluvi VI.

Dignitaries who graced the occasion included Togbega Gabusu, paramount chief of Gbi traditional area and former president of the Volta regional House of Chiefs, Mr. Isaac Apronti commissioner of CEPS, and some Municipal and district chief executives as well as some MPs from the region.

“It’s Not Going to Be Business As Usual”-Baba Jamal Warns Public Servants

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Kwadwo Duodu

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September 15, 2013

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Baba Jamal addressing the audience

The Deputy Minister for Local Government and Rural Development, and M.P for Akwatia, Hon. Baba Jamal has issued a stern warning to public servants at the various assemblies in the country to take their work seriously, saying “It’s not going to be business as usual”.

“We are now a local government service and we are supposed to be serving the community, so we need to change our attitude towards government business”, Baba Jamal stated.

The Deputy Minister gave the caution in Ho at an orientation programme on street-naming and property numbering for officials of the 25 municipal and district assemblies in the Volta region, in which some Coordinating directors were absent.

“Some of the Coordinating Directors have become tin gods in the districts, sitting in the office and trying to frustrate processes” he said and stated that the ministry is taking note of the conduct of such directors and will not tolerate such conducts.

Baba Jamal stated that “There are a lot of people looking for jobs, so if you have the job and you are not ready to do it, give way to those who are ready to come in and do the job”.

On the street-naming project, the deputy minister and MP said it is embarrassing for a middle-income country like Ghana not to have a proper street addressing system.

‘Locating places in this country, is very embarrassing, even our neighbor, Nigeria with all the confusion has a proper addressing system’ he said.

Mr. Jamal said the project was very crucial to the president hence his directive for it to be completed within 18 months. Because of this reason, he said the project was linked to the key performance indicator for Regional Ministers and Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives, who must ensure that it was executed within the stipulated time-frame.

The deputy minister further noted that the Ministry is liaising with the National Service Secretariat to raise personnel “trained in geometrics and physical planning” to ensure that the project goes on well.

Baba Jamal as part of the orientation, presented equipment to the regional office of the Town and Country Planning to set up a Global Information System (GIS) to co-ordinate the project in the region and said similar equipment will be made available to all district offices of the Town and country planning department for the prosecution of the project. The Volta Regional Minister, Mr Joseph Nii Laryea Afotey Agbo, said he will ensure the completion of the projects on schedule and commended the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Developmentfor the initiative.

Measles and Rubella vaccination Kick-Start in the Volta

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Kwadwo Duodu

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September 15, 2013

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The nationwide vaccination campaign against measles and rubella has kick-start in the Volta region with a total of 950,073 children aged between nine months and 14 years expected to be vaccinated during the exercise scheduled between September 11 and September 20, 2013.

Immunization teams comprising 719 vaccinators, 2156 volunteers and 176 supervisors are stationed at markets, schools, lorry parks, prison facilities, health centres and any populated area whiles others would be moving in scattered communities and settlement across the region for the 10-day exercise.

Speaking at the Launch of the campaign in Ho, The Volta Regional Deputy Director of Health, Dr Winfred Ofosu, said the exercise had become necessary because statistics showed that the four-yearly vaccination interval saw the resurgence of the disease hence the need to interrupt with two-yearly vaccination cycles.

“We realized that in 2012 the number of cases have shot up unexpectedly, the number of people susceptible to measles is increasing at a fast rate than the four year interval that we were using in the past, that’s what has made necessary to conduct the campaign this year rather than 2014’.

Dr Ofosu said unlike anti- measles vaccination which started in Ghana in 1978, vaccination against rubella is a recent public health problem. He said between 2010 and June this year, 1,371 rubella cases were confirmed, 96 of which were recorded between January and June this year.

He stated “Rubella is now here with us and introducing this vaccination is the start of control of rubella in the country”.

Dr Ofosu assured parents that the children would experience some mild side-effects after the vaccination but these are normal and short-lived. He further noted that those who are already vaccinated against measles could go in for another vaccination in order to convert the vaccine into protection.

Mr Francis Ganyaglo, Deputy Volta Regional Minister, who launched the exercise said the 704 measles cases confirmed in the first six months of this year was “frightening” and cautioned parents that their children risked being exposed to serious health complication if they failed to make their children available for the vaccination.

Measles symptoms includes rashes, fever, runny- nose, cough and eye irritation, leading to complications such as ear infection, diarrhoea, pneumonia, seizures, brain damage, encephalitis and death. But Rubella manifests as rash in the face, mild fever and swollen lymph nodes or may not show any symptoms.

Pregnant women with rubella risked miscarriage or giving birth to children with defects such as eye problems, heart defects and mental retardation.

Shocking: First Female M.C.E for Ho rejected

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Kwadwo Duodu

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September 11, 2013

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Mrs. Adinyira with Hon. Ganyaglo

It was meant to be a historic moment for the Ho municipal assembly, when members converged on Tuesday to confirm the nomination of Mrs. Fafa Adinyira, as the first woman Municipal chief Executive. But to the shock and surprise of many dignitaries and some members of the public, the assembly members denied her the nod.

Mrs. Adinyira, who needed the votes of 28 members representing two-thirds majority of the 42-member assembly to gain the job, ironically had 28 members voting against and 14 members voting for her.

Her outright rejection sent her mainly women supporters into furious protestations, as they chanted “We would not agree. We want a woman this time round. We would go on the streets. These men have had their way for too long and must be clipped,”

The women, some said to be representatives of market women, and others dressed in ‘Mahama Ladies’ branded T-Shirts, had horns ostensibly for celebrations, tore up red clothes and strung them round their neck and moved onto the street in the vicinity of the Assembly offices singing.

Some Aggrieved Women

Some of the protesting women described the result as disgusting and unprecedented and accused the assembly members of a grand agenda to reject the woman’s nomination. They vowed to make representations to President John Mahama through the regional minister to re-nominate Mrs Adinyira.

Madam Mansah Dagbey, The market queen of Ho, said market women will protest the nomination any man to head the assembly. “No man will head this assembly; we will protest against the nomination of a man, we want the woman back” she said.

About 15 police personnel, some with batons, were brought into the Assembly premises while the protestation went on.

Mr Francis Ganyaglo, Deputy Regional Minister, expressed disappointment at the turn of events. “This is the first time a president’s nominee is being rejected. By this rejection, we have all lost, by this rejection, we have all lost,” he said as dignitaries including, Mr Benjamin Kpodo, Ho-Central Member of Parliament, Captain George Nfodjo, a former Ho District Chief Executive (DCE)were transfixed in their chairs.

Mr. Ganyaglo however said a report will be forward to the president about the turn of events and he will decide the next line of action.

traditional leaders from Ziavi

Among the dignitaries present were Rev. Ledo, a former Moderator of the E.P church and traditional leaders from Ziavi, the hometown of Mrs. Adinyira. There were also high ranking members of the NDC and some municipal and district chief executives from the region to give moral support to the nominee.

Volta Teacher Trainees protests Scrapping of Allowances

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Kwadwo Duodu

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September 9, 2013

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Okudzeto Ablakwa, Deputy Education Minister

The Teacher Trainees Association of Ghana, Volta Sector (TTAG-Volta) have resolved to hit the streets in the coming week to protest government decision to scrap the allowances of fresh trainees entering the various colleges of education this year. A communiqué issued after an executive council meeting of the association in Ho at the weekend, said the decision when carried out will bring untoward hardship onto trainees, who depend on the allowances to support their training.

The communiqué signed by TTAG-Volta president Shittie Prosper stated that “Teacher trainees go through a lot during training to equip themselves in order to give off their best to this nation and thus needs the penny that is being paid as allowance which is even taxed to purchase handouts, prepare teacher learning materials for practice, pay for facility user fees, registration fees, books among others”,

The communiqué further stated the country’s annual teacher deficit of 60,000 will further worsen should government go ahead with its decision to scrap trainee allowances. “The allowance was introduced to retain and motivate teachers to the only unattractive profession that most people disregard in this country”.

The decision to scrap the allowances of fresh teacher trainees was announced by government a couple of months ago in order to increase enrollments into the 38 colleges of education but the students leaders from the seven education colleges in the Volta region, in the communiqué pointed out that government’s decision will rather discourage persons from entering the colleges since new trainees cannot meet their financial obligations in the colleges without the allowances.

The communiqué again noted “Colleges of Education are neither universities nor polytechnics. Colleges of Education have different but equally important mandate, we are different and our roles are different. We should not in any way be compared to any other tertiary institutions for the sake of our tertiary status, we have different calling as teachers to teach, mould and train the feeble mind.”

The communiqué further called on government to take pragmatic measures to provide adequate facilities and infrastructure in colleges in order to increase enrollment rather than scrapping allowances. “We acknowledge government effort to train more teachers but certainly this is not the best way to go”.

Dr. Nuertey joins call for the scrapping of Trainee Nurses’ Allowance

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Kwadwo Duodu

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September 9, 2013

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The Volta Regional Director of Ghana Health Services (GHS), Dr Joseph Teye Nuertey, has backed the call by his Upper East Regional counterpart, Dr. John Koku Awoonor-Williams for allowances paid to student nurses to be scrapped.

Speaking on US FM last Friday, Dr Nuertey said that the nation needed money to equip health facilities and could not continue giving allowances to health trainees.

He said the Health ministry spends almost 90 per cent of its budget on personnel emoluments and that the call for scraping the allowances was in the “right direction.”

The Upper East Regional Director of Health Services, Dr John Koku Awoonor-Williams, started the debate when he suggested that allowances paid to student nurses should be scrapped. Dr. Awoonor-Williams said “many students have continued to receive trainee allowances for five years for a two-year programme, simply because they continue to fail their final licensure examinations and so long as they continue to fail, they continue to receive allowances,”

Reacting to the suggestions, the Public Relations Officer of the Ministry of Health, Mr. Tony Goodman, told US FM that Trainee nurses, were always on the field and do not go home while in school and therefore, needed the allowances.

He explained that the allowances help to retain and motivate nurses in the country, and added that the incentive helped in changing the country’s “brain drain situation into brain gain.”

Mr. Goodman also said trainee nurses who failed their licensure examinations had three chances during which they took their allowances and after the third chance they were taken off the allowances. “Immediately you leave or complete College, you are automatically off the allowance.”

But Dr. Nuertey rather attributed the ‘brain-gain’ to the enhanced salary structure in the public sector and not the trainee allowances and suggested that only needy trainees should be supported though scholarships and the rest allowed to access the students loan scheme.

‘My Learned Senior Descended Too Low’-Lawyer

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Kwadwo Duodu

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September 3, 2013

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A Ho-based legal practitioner, Mr. Andrew adugu has said his ‘learned senior’ Tsatsu Tsikata descended too low with his comments which suggested that Justice Annin-Yeboah one the nine-justices who sat on the just-ended election petition case was bias towards the NDC.

Mr Tsatsu Tsikata, who was the lead counsel for the third respondent, the National Democratic Congress (NDC), on Saturday, said on TV3, that Justice Anin-Yeboah allowed his political biases to cloud his judgment. Mr. Tsikata also said Justice Anin Yeboah consistently took an opposing stance against the NDC’s arguments and position as far as the case was concerned, from the onset, because he was appointed to the Supreme Court by former President Kufuor.

But speaking on US FM’s Morning Rush Show on Monday Mr. Adugu described the comments as ‘very unfortunate’ which should not come from an officer of the court and a very senior one for that matter. ‘This statement is very unfortunate and with all due respect to my learned senior, I think he descended too low on this matter’.

He said lawyers as officers of the court are expected to uphold their professional conduction and the integrity of the court and comments such as this do not help the administration of justice as it has the possibility of reducing the dignity of the court in the eyes of the public.

He said since the judgement and the reasoning behind it is not yet out, ‘singling out a judge and seeking to make people understand he was bias without certain concrete evidence was not the best”.

Nii Commey’s ‘Romantic Nonsense’ thrilled Ho Audience

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Kwadwo Duodu

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September 3, 2013

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Theatre lovers in the Volta regional capital of Ho last Saturday night were served with a douse of the most wanted hilarious stage play ‘Romantic Nonsense’ produced by Nii Commey, a name that is gradually becoming synonymous with contemporary comedy.

The high voltage, fast paced comedy staged at the Ho polytechnic auditorium, irreverently explores the outcome of youthful exuberance and innate human desires for proceeding quickly into marriage as opposed to upholding the religious and time-honored traditions of courtship and true knowledge and understanding between the intended partners.

The seven cast play was woven around two main characters – Kofi Katawodeeso literally meaning ‘cover yours’ and his wife Diamond. Few months into the marriage the two discovered that they were very incompatible. They fought on every single issue – from toothpaste to bathroom slippers and then down to salary declaration. Ironically, whoever comes to the house admires them for their compatibility. Their family pastor Alema never ceases to use them as a testimony of God’s reward for faithfulness.

The Writers choice of words and ability to flexibly create humour out of this very simple daily life issue made the comedy tickle and got patrons cracking their ribs from the prologue to the epilogue.

Hilarious Phrases like ‘women are like elephants, I like to watch them but never would I own one’ ‘it is only in marriage that a man loses his bachelorship and the woman gets her master’ among others set the entire auditorium ablaze with uncontrollable laughter causing audience cravings for more.

Ecstatic patrons couldn’t hide their excitement about play which mirrored the various facets of their relationships with a touch of humour. They expressed gratitude the producers for bringing the theatre experience of Accra and other cities to their doors and called for more of such plays.

The play was under the auspices of Theatre Factory Production in partnership with Novelty Initiative with support from Kum-franky company ltd, and U.S FM.

Mild Jubilation in Volta after Supreme Court Judgement

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Kwadwo Duodu

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August 30, 2013

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Jubilant NDC supporter at Party’s office

Contrary to the expectations by many Ghanaians that the Volta Region, the ‘World Bank’ of the ruling National Democratic Congress, NDC will go gay over the Supreme Court’s judgment, there have rather been isolated mild jubilations and in most cases none at all.

The phenomenon which was widespread in the region has left the entire ‘judgment day’ incident free with many residents full of gratitude to God for making the day peaceful.

In Ho the regional capital, the entire day has been calm even after the judgement was declared in favour of the ruling government. The morning started with showers which some described as ‘showers of blessing’? Shops delayed in opening while traffic was free flowing.

The Police were spotted in various locations to keep the peace as many workers particularly public were most of the time idle. Those who wanted to travel waited till after the judgement while others postponed theirs.

That notwithstanding, the regional secretariat of the NDC saw a handful of party supporters and constituency and regional executives clad in white clothes and hand bands amidst singing and dancing while they sprayed white powder and popped Champaign.

On the contrary, the constituency and regional offices of the opposition New Patriotic Party, NPP were all closed down with no trace of supporters what so ever.

The NDC Regional Chairman, Akwasi Aboagye, told supporters not to engage in ostentatious jubilations but rather take a sober reflection of the process and see the victory as a one for Ghana and not for the NDC.

More so, they should not consider the opposition, NPP as their enemies or rivals but as “brothers and sisters in another half of the same pitch.” Mr. Aboagye congratulated Nana Akuffo Addo for leading a crusade to repose trust in the laws and judiciary of the country and in so doing making Ghana a beacon of hope as far as democracy is concerned.

His colleague Regional Chairman of the NPP, Kenwuud Nuworsu congratulated the NDC that the ruling had gone in their favour and prayed that their jubilations will not injure the peace and stability in the region.

He noted that as much as they (NPP) were disappointed in the outcome, “we believe that is the opinion of the Supreme Court and since we believe in the rule of law; we accept and will not review just as our leader, Nana Akuffo Addo had said.”

Mr. Nuworsu congratulated the numerous supporters of the NPP and urged them to steadfast and re-organize themselves to snatch victory in 2016. He emphasized that “we will bounce back.” He also advised them not to be discontented beyond uncontrollable limits.

Checks in Hohoe, Ketu South and Keta Municipalities, Central Tongu district and other parts of the region indicated that the situation was the same; Police alert and atmosphere calm.
Credit: Fred Duodu, Ho