Daily Graphic ( Back Page), Wed. Dec.31/08
Story Rebecca Quaicoe Duho
TWO foreign observer groups have urged Ghana’s political leaders and citizens to respect the independence of the Electoral Commission (EC) and recognise its mandate with respect to the announcement of the results of the December 28 presidential run-off.
The groups commended Ghanaians for a peaceful run-off but urged political leaders and citizens to respect the mandate of the people.
According to them, although there had been irregularities in some places, the immediate post-election environment was calm and hoped that a spirit of peace and co-operation would prevail.
At separate press conferences in Accra, the Commonwealth Observer Group and the African Union Observer Mission both commended officials of the EC and the security agencies for the professionalism they displayed during the electioneering period.
In a statement read by Baroness Valerie Amos, the Chairperson of the Commonwealth Observer Group, the group observed that “with such a competitive election, the next President of Ghana will be required to unify the country and represent all citizens of Ghana”.
“A strong democracy is one in which differences can be resolved through established institutions and systems in which the people have confidence and trust. That is what the people of Ghana wish to see,” it said.
The group further hoped that Ghana’s future government would further consolidate Ghana’s democratic gains and foster political inclusiveness and co-operation.
For the AU Observer Mission, the leader of the team, Dr Salim Ahmed Salim, a former OAU Secretary-General, who read the statement said it was evident that the election had been closely contested, saying that like many other elections of similar nature, there had been heated campaigns and passion, reflecting the divergent and strongly held views of the political leadership and their impact on the electorate.
It further stated that it was evident that the outcome of the election would be very close, saying that in such a circumstance “it is all the more important that whoever wins the election should bear in mind the enormity of the responsibility that he has and the need to forge national co-operation on the basis of accommodation and the larger interest of the country”.
“The need to work together as Ghanaians from all political affiliations becomes all the more crucial,” the group said.
It said it was no less important that the candidate who did not win and the party he represented should be forthcoming in not only accepting the verdict of the people of Ghana but, more important, also working with the winning candidate in the interest of the people of Ghana.
“Such a spirit demonstrated by both candidates and their parties will make an important contribution in the consolidation of democracy, good governance, peace and harmony in the country,” it said.
The group, in its final analysis, said “the outcome of the election, coupled with the manner in which the citizenry of Ghana voted, should be seen as a victory for Ghana”.
Wednesday, December 31, 2008
Tuesday, December 30, 2008
Ghanaians will accept Akufo-Addo or Mills if.....-Rawlings
Daily Graphic, Pg, 15, Tues. Dec. 30/08
Story Rebecca Quaicoe Duho
THE former President, Flt Lt Jerry John Rawlings, has said that Ghanaians will accept either of the candidates vying for the presidency only when that person is properly elected.
“Whether it is Mills or Akufo-Addo, either of them will be accepted provided the elections are free and fair,” he said.
The former President said this after casting his vote at the Public Works Department (PWD) Polling Station in the Klottey Korle Constituency.
He said cheating would not give people the freedom to elect their preferred candidate and, therefore, called on politicians to respect the rights and choice of the people in the run-off.
According to him, freedom could sometimes come at a cost and, therefore, called on Ghanaians to be ready to defend their choice, saying that the country would not accept any fraudulent elections.
Flt Lt J.J. Rawlings was at the centre to cast his vote at 9 am, and his arrival was met with the usual thick crowd to cheer him on.
In his usual fashion, the former President took time to exchange greetings with the people around, after which he went ahead to cast his vote.
As at the time of his arrival, a total of 216 people had already cast their votes.
He, however, cautioned the security agencies to be extra cautious, alleging that people were using fake security identities to manipulate the elections, and said it would be in the best interest of the security agencies to be extra vigilant to protect their image.
He said the use of guns by people posing as security agents as a means of intimidating people would not work, adding that voters were more discerning and they knew their rights.
Flt Lt Rawlings called on the people to maintain their courage and keep vigilance to ensure that the right leader was elected for the country.
Story Rebecca Quaicoe Duho
THE former President, Flt Lt Jerry John Rawlings, has said that Ghanaians will accept either of the candidates vying for the presidency only when that person is properly elected.
“Whether it is Mills or Akufo-Addo, either of them will be accepted provided the elections are free and fair,” he said.
The former President said this after casting his vote at the Public Works Department (PWD) Polling Station in the Klottey Korle Constituency.
He said cheating would not give people the freedom to elect their preferred candidate and, therefore, called on politicians to respect the rights and choice of the people in the run-off.
According to him, freedom could sometimes come at a cost and, therefore, called on Ghanaians to be ready to defend their choice, saying that the country would not accept any fraudulent elections.
Flt Lt J.J. Rawlings was at the centre to cast his vote at 9 am, and his arrival was met with the usual thick crowd to cheer him on.
In his usual fashion, the former President took time to exchange greetings with the people around, after which he went ahead to cast his vote.
As at the time of his arrival, a total of 216 people had already cast their votes.
He, however, cautioned the security agencies to be extra cautious, alleging that people were using fake security identities to manipulate the elections, and said it would be in the best interest of the security agencies to be extra vigilant to protect their image.
He said the use of guns by people posing as security agents as a means of intimidating people would not work, adding that voters were more discerning and they knew their rights.
Flt Lt Rawlings called on the people to maintain their courage and keep vigilance to ensure that the right leader was elected for the country.
Gender activists advocate women empowerment
Daily Graphic, pg 17, Tues. Dec. 30/08
Story Rebecca Quaicoe Duho
GENDER activists are advocating the empowering of women to be self-sufficient by helping them to acquire skills as one of the ways to curb gender violence.
According to the Programme Co-ordinator of the Women’s Initiative for Self- Empowerment (WISE), Ms Adwoa Bami, economically empowered women were able to assert themselves and depended less on their husbands.
She said violence against women was not confined to a specific culture, region or country, or to particular groups of women within society, explaining that the different manifestations of such violence and women’s personal experience of it were shaped by many factors, including the economic status of a woman, her race, ethnicity, age, sexual orientation, disability, nationality, religion and culture.
In order to prevent violence against women, she said, the root causes of such violence and the effects of the intersection of the subordination of women and other forms of social, cultural, economic and political manipulation needed to be identified and addressed.
She said women bore almost all responsibility for meeting the basic needs of the family, yet they were systematically denied the resources, information and freedom of action they needed to fulfil that responsibility.
Ms Bami said in an interview that most women remained in abusive relationships because they were dependent on the perpetrators and did not have the financial capabilities to take care of themselves and their children.
According to her, when women were economically sound, they would be able to be self-dependent and could, therefore, stay away from abusive relationships since they could work to fend for themselves.
Reports indicate that the vast majority of the world's poor are women, two-thirds of the world's illiterates are females and also of the millions of school-going children not in school, the majority of them are girls.
Studies also show that when women are supported and empowered, the rest of society benefits. Families are healthier, more children go to school, agricultural productivity improves and incomes increase. In short, communities become more resilient.
Ms Bami said it was for that reason that WISE had, for years, been supporting women to be financially capable to take care of themselves and their homes.
In 2004, WISE established a skills training centre known as the Women Economic Empowerment Development (WEED) programme where women who are in abusive relationships are given skills training to ensure that they do not depend on their spouses.
The WEED programme seeks to promote economic independence for survivors of domestic violence through advocacy, counselling and support, group development and micro-enterprise management training, access to credit and business advisory services.
The programme empowers the beneficiaries through capacity building, the provision of micro-credit, monitoring and business advisory services, disbursement of follow-up loans and loan assessment.
To help support the WEED programme, a foreign company, China 99 Limited, has donated two high-speed Lockstich sewing machines to teach women in the programme how to sew.
The machines, which perform functions such as regular sewing, embroidery, knitting, among others, will help to train 40 participants who are currently under the WEED programme.
The Chairman of the Board of Directors of WISE, Dr Juliet Tuakli, who received the items on behalf of the WEED project, said the programme had been a huge success so far.
According to her, 200 women had been trained in the last two years and most of them had returned to their marital homes and were no longer dependent on their husbands.
She said women who were under the programme were given training, after which they were given capital, with minimum interest, to start their own businesses.
One of the success stories of the WEED programme is that of a woman who was raped by rebels in Sierra Leone, for which reason her husband refused to accept her.
After going through the WEED programme in Ghana, she was given capital to sell iced water. She currently owns a deep freezer and is able to take care of her four children. Her husband has also decided to take her back.
A teenage girl has also been able to put her son through school after she received micro-credit from the programme and she is currently into batik making. She also makes pastries for sale.
Story Rebecca Quaicoe Duho
GENDER activists are advocating the empowering of women to be self-sufficient by helping them to acquire skills as one of the ways to curb gender violence.
According to the Programme Co-ordinator of the Women’s Initiative for Self- Empowerment (WISE), Ms Adwoa Bami, economically empowered women were able to assert themselves and depended less on their husbands.
She said violence against women was not confined to a specific culture, region or country, or to particular groups of women within society, explaining that the different manifestations of such violence and women’s personal experience of it were shaped by many factors, including the economic status of a woman, her race, ethnicity, age, sexual orientation, disability, nationality, religion and culture.
In order to prevent violence against women, she said, the root causes of such violence and the effects of the intersection of the subordination of women and other forms of social, cultural, economic and political manipulation needed to be identified and addressed.
She said women bore almost all responsibility for meeting the basic needs of the family, yet they were systematically denied the resources, information and freedom of action they needed to fulfil that responsibility.
Ms Bami said in an interview that most women remained in abusive relationships because they were dependent on the perpetrators and did not have the financial capabilities to take care of themselves and their children.
According to her, when women were economically sound, they would be able to be self-dependent and could, therefore, stay away from abusive relationships since they could work to fend for themselves.
Reports indicate that the vast majority of the world's poor are women, two-thirds of the world's illiterates are females and also of the millions of school-going children not in school, the majority of them are girls.
Studies also show that when women are supported and empowered, the rest of society benefits. Families are healthier, more children go to school, agricultural productivity improves and incomes increase. In short, communities become more resilient.
Ms Bami said it was for that reason that WISE had, for years, been supporting women to be financially capable to take care of themselves and their homes.
In 2004, WISE established a skills training centre known as the Women Economic Empowerment Development (WEED) programme where women who are in abusive relationships are given skills training to ensure that they do not depend on their spouses.
The WEED programme seeks to promote economic independence for survivors of domestic violence through advocacy, counselling and support, group development and micro-enterprise management training, access to credit and business advisory services.
The programme empowers the beneficiaries through capacity building, the provision of micro-credit, monitoring and business advisory services, disbursement of follow-up loans and loan assessment.
To help support the WEED programme, a foreign company, China 99 Limited, has donated two high-speed Lockstich sewing machines to teach women in the programme how to sew.
The machines, which perform functions such as regular sewing, embroidery, knitting, among others, will help to train 40 participants who are currently under the WEED programme.
The Chairman of the Board of Directors of WISE, Dr Juliet Tuakli, who received the items on behalf of the WEED project, said the programme had been a huge success so far.
According to her, 200 women had been trained in the last two years and most of them had returned to their marital homes and were no longer dependent on their husbands.
She said women who were under the programme were given training, after which they were given capital, with minimum interest, to start their own businesses.
One of the success stories of the WEED programme is that of a woman who was raped by rebels in Sierra Leone, for which reason her husband refused to accept her.
After going through the WEED programme in Ghana, she was given capital to sell iced water. She currently owns a deep freezer and is able to take care of her four children. Her husband has also decided to take her back.
A teenage girl has also been able to put her son through school after she received micro-credit from the programme and she is currently into batik making. She also makes pastries for sale.
Tuesday, December 23, 2008
Women's Manifesto Coalition calls for affirmative action
Daily Graphic, Pg 11, Thurs. Dec. 18/08
Story: Salome Donkor & Rebecca Quaicoe Duho
THE Women’s Manifesto Coalition of Ghana has expressed its disappointment at the abysmal performance of women in the just-ended parliamentary election.
It has, therefore, called on political parties to adopt an affirmative action or a form of quota system as a deliberate intervention strategy, which it says is not new to the country’s political culture.
It said affirmative action must be seen as a development issue which would be attainable in the country’s political system, saying that as of 2006 23 countries across the world used that system which was enshrined in their various constitutions to increase women’s participation in governance.
The coalition called for a revision of the 1992 Constitution, saying that without the appropriate constitutional provisions in place, affirmative action in relation to the political empowerment of women would be difficult to attain.
A member of the coalition, Mrs Elizabeth Akpalu, who stated its concerns at a press briefing in Accra, said since women were in the majority in the country, there was the need for their balanced representation in decision-making structures.
Twenty out of the 103 women who contested the December 7 parliamentary election have emerged victorious from the results so far declared by the Electoral Commission (EC).
They are made up of seven new female Members of Parliament (MPs)-elect and 13 women who retained their seats.
Fourteen won their seats on the ticket of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), five on the ticket of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) and one on the ticket of the Convention People’s Party (CPP).
Five new women won the New Juaben South, Lower West Akyem, Tema West, Amansie West and Evalue Gwira seats on the ticket of the NPP, while Samia Yaba Christina Nkrumah won the Jomoro seat for the CPP and Halutie Dubie Alhasan of the NDC wrest the Sisala East from the incumbent PNC member, Moses Dani Baah.
In 2004, 104 women contested the parliamentary election, out of which 25, comprising 20 from the NPP and five from the NDC, were elected into the current 230-member legislature.
The Greater Accra Region fielded the highest number of 18 female candidates, out of which four won, while none of the five women who contested in the Northern Region won.
Speaking to the Daily Graphic, a Principal Electoral Officer at the EC, Mr Fred Tetteh, said the NPP and the CPP each fielded 23 female candidates, while the People’s National Convention (PNC) fielded 16 female candidates, with 15 women contesting on the ticket of the NDC.
Ten women contested on the ticket of the Democratic People’s Party (DPP), while the Democratic Freedom Party (DFP) fielded nine female candidates.
Six out of the 25 women who are currently in Parliament did not contest the 2008 parliamentary election.
Female MPs such Ms Anna Nyamekye (Jaman South) and Ms Hilda Josephine Addo (Kwadaso) lost to males during the primaries, while Mrs Gladys Asmah (Takoradi), Ms Christine Churcher (Cape Coast), Ms Theresah Amaley Tagoe (Ablekuma South) and Mrs Grace Coleman, who did not contest during the primaries, have had their slots filled by males.
“We firmly believe that without the active participation of women and the incorporation of women’s perspectives at all levels of decision-making, the goals of equality, development and peace cannot be achieved,” Mrs Akpalu said.
Buttressing her point with numerous conventions, declarations and protocols such as the Beijing Platform for Action, the UN Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), the African Union Solemn Declaration on Gender Equality and the Protocol on the Rights of Women to the African Charter, she said achieving the goal of equal participation of women and men in decision-making positions would provide a balance which more accurately reflected the composition of society’s interests and the general good of all citizens.
As a way of improving the number of women in the next administration, the coalition called on the two contesting political parties in the upcoming run-off to, as a matter of urgency, outline their vision for women before the polls on December 28, 2008.
According to the coalition, the various political parties, especially the two major ones, the NPP and the NDC, did not do much to help in increasing the number of women in Parliament.
“The NDC and NPP have not convinced women, who constitute the majority of voters, about their commitment to women’s representation and participation in governance and what strategies they intend to put in place to achieve gender equity as demanded by our 1992 Constitution,” it said.
The coalition, on behalf of the women of Ghana, demanded that the next government ensure that more women were appointed as regional ministers and district chief executives and also that more women be appointed to public offices, such as boards of corporations and institutions, as well as the higher echelons of the bureaucracies, in accordance with the demands made in the Women’s Manifesto of 2004.
It said women would continue to engage with the winning political party and the next government to further address their demands and others contained in the manifesto.
Story: Salome Donkor & Rebecca Quaicoe Duho
THE Women’s Manifesto Coalition of Ghana has expressed its disappointment at the abysmal performance of women in the just-ended parliamentary election.
It has, therefore, called on political parties to adopt an affirmative action or a form of quota system as a deliberate intervention strategy, which it says is not new to the country’s political culture.
It said affirmative action must be seen as a development issue which would be attainable in the country’s political system, saying that as of 2006 23 countries across the world used that system which was enshrined in their various constitutions to increase women’s participation in governance.
The coalition called for a revision of the 1992 Constitution, saying that without the appropriate constitutional provisions in place, affirmative action in relation to the political empowerment of women would be difficult to attain.
A member of the coalition, Mrs Elizabeth Akpalu, who stated its concerns at a press briefing in Accra, said since women were in the majority in the country, there was the need for their balanced representation in decision-making structures.
Twenty out of the 103 women who contested the December 7 parliamentary election have emerged victorious from the results so far declared by the Electoral Commission (EC).
They are made up of seven new female Members of Parliament (MPs)-elect and 13 women who retained their seats.
Fourteen won their seats on the ticket of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), five on the ticket of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) and one on the ticket of the Convention People’s Party (CPP).
Five new women won the New Juaben South, Lower West Akyem, Tema West, Amansie West and Evalue Gwira seats on the ticket of the NPP, while Samia Yaba Christina Nkrumah won the Jomoro seat for the CPP and Halutie Dubie Alhasan of the NDC wrest the Sisala East from the incumbent PNC member, Moses Dani Baah.
In 2004, 104 women contested the parliamentary election, out of which 25, comprising 20 from the NPP and five from the NDC, were elected into the current 230-member legislature.
The Greater Accra Region fielded the highest number of 18 female candidates, out of which four won, while none of the five women who contested in the Northern Region won.
Speaking to the Daily Graphic, a Principal Electoral Officer at the EC, Mr Fred Tetteh, said the NPP and the CPP each fielded 23 female candidates, while the People’s National Convention (PNC) fielded 16 female candidates, with 15 women contesting on the ticket of the NDC.
Ten women contested on the ticket of the Democratic People’s Party (DPP), while the Democratic Freedom Party (DFP) fielded nine female candidates.
Six out of the 25 women who are currently in Parliament did not contest the 2008 parliamentary election.
Female MPs such Ms Anna Nyamekye (Jaman South) and Ms Hilda Josephine Addo (Kwadaso) lost to males during the primaries, while Mrs Gladys Asmah (Takoradi), Ms Christine Churcher (Cape Coast), Ms Theresah Amaley Tagoe (Ablekuma South) and Mrs Grace Coleman, who did not contest during the primaries, have had their slots filled by males.
“We firmly believe that without the active participation of women and the incorporation of women’s perspectives at all levels of decision-making, the goals of equality, development and peace cannot be achieved,” Mrs Akpalu said.
Buttressing her point with numerous conventions, declarations and protocols such as the Beijing Platform for Action, the UN Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), the African Union Solemn Declaration on Gender Equality and the Protocol on the Rights of Women to the African Charter, she said achieving the goal of equal participation of women and men in decision-making positions would provide a balance which more accurately reflected the composition of society’s interests and the general good of all citizens.
As a way of improving the number of women in the next administration, the coalition called on the two contesting political parties in the upcoming run-off to, as a matter of urgency, outline their vision for women before the polls on December 28, 2008.
According to the coalition, the various political parties, especially the two major ones, the NPP and the NDC, did not do much to help in increasing the number of women in Parliament.
“The NDC and NPP have not convinced women, who constitute the majority of voters, about their commitment to women’s representation and participation in governance and what strategies they intend to put in place to achieve gender equity as demanded by our 1992 Constitution,” it said.
The coalition, on behalf of the women of Ghana, demanded that the next government ensure that more women were appointed as regional ministers and district chief executives and also that more women be appointed to public offices, such as boards of corporations and institutions, as well as the higher echelons of the bureaucracies, in accordance with the demands made in the Women’s Manifesto of 2004.
It said women would continue to engage with the winning political party and the next government to further address their demands and others contained in the manifesto.
Drivers exploited at sub-regional borders
Daily Graphic, Pg. 3, Wed. Dec. 17/08
Story Rebecca Quaicoe Duho
DRIVERS plying West African routes were, within three months, exploited of $151.63 per trip by security agencies manning the sub-region’s borders, the Improved Road Transport Governance (IRTG) Project Report has revealed.
The amount was said to have been illegally collected from a total of 192 drivers along the Tema-Ouagadougou, Lome-Ouagadougou and Ouagadougou-Bamako borders where a driver paid at least $28.68, $90.16 and $32.78, respectively, per trip.
Drivers plying between Tema and Bamako via Ouagadougou, with 21 checkpoints, and Lome and Bamako via Ouagadougou, where there are 23 checkpoints, were the worst affected.
The IRTG also identified 75 checkpoints along the three corridors which personnel of the security agencies used to exploit the drivers, most of whom carted perishable goods such as tomatoes and other foodstuffs, as well as spare parts, electronic gadgets, among others.
The IRTG project regularly surveys primary trade corridors to measure the number of checkpoints and the extent of delays and bribery caused by police, customs and military agents.
Disseminating the findings of its third quarter research for 2008 at a press conference in Accra yesterday, the Communications and Advocacy Co-ordinator of IRTG of the West African Trade Hub (WATH), Mr Lacina Pakoun, said the situation was impeding economic development and integration in the sub-region.
He warned that if the situation was not checked, traders would abandon the West African corridor and use other routes which would be less expensive to them.
According to him, “depending on how competitive our corridors will be, it will improve on the economic development of the region".
He said the illegal activities at the borders rather led to delays, increased the prices of goods and also reduced the competitive nature of the route.
Mr Pakoun said if the situation was not checked, it would be difficult for the sub-region to improve on its trade activities.
He said between Tema and Ouagadougou drivers encountered seven police barriers in Ghana and two in Burkina Faso, eight customs checkpoints in Ghana and three in Burkina Faso and one Gendarmerie (Military Police) in Burkina Faso.
According to him, between Ouagadougou and Bamako drivers encountered three police stops in Burkina Faso and eight in Mali, three customs checkpoints in Burkina Faso and seven in Mali and one military police checkpoint in Burkina Faso and 12 in Mali.
Mr Pakoun noted that from Lome to Ouagadougou drivers encountered two police stops in Burkina Faso and four in Togo, three customs checkpoints in Burkina Faso and four in Togo and one military police checkpoint in Burkina Faso and four in Togo.
He said the 75 checkpoints represented a 12 per cent increase in the third quarter of 2008, during which period the value of bribery only increased along the primary corridor in Mali, while the level of bribery paid generally declined along the other corridors.
He, therefore, advised governments to take appropriate measures to improve the movement of goods and people along the Ghana, Mali, Burkina Faso and Togo corridors.
According to him, although the Ghana Police Service had issued a directive that there should not be more than four checkpoints along some routes such as Tema-Paga, the research found that there were seven checkpoints on that route.
Story Rebecca Quaicoe Duho
DRIVERS plying West African routes were, within three months, exploited of $151.63 per trip by security agencies manning the sub-region’s borders, the Improved Road Transport Governance (IRTG) Project Report has revealed.
The amount was said to have been illegally collected from a total of 192 drivers along the Tema-Ouagadougou, Lome-Ouagadougou and Ouagadougou-Bamako borders where a driver paid at least $28.68, $90.16 and $32.78, respectively, per trip.
Drivers plying between Tema and Bamako via Ouagadougou, with 21 checkpoints, and Lome and Bamako via Ouagadougou, where there are 23 checkpoints, were the worst affected.
The IRTG also identified 75 checkpoints along the three corridors which personnel of the security agencies used to exploit the drivers, most of whom carted perishable goods such as tomatoes and other foodstuffs, as well as spare parts, electronic gadgets, among others.
The IRTG project regularly surveys primary trade corridors to measure the number of checkpoints and the extent of delays and bribery caused by police, customs and military agents.
Disseminating the findings of its third quarter research for 2008 at a press conference in Accra yesterday, the Communications and Advocacy Co-ordinator of IRTG of the West African Trade Hub (WATH), Mr Lacina Pakoun, said the situation was impeding economic development and integration in the sub-region.
He warned that if the situation was not checked, traders would abandon the West African corridor and use other routes which would be less expensive to them.
According to him, “depending on how competitive our corridors will be, it will improve on the economic development of the region".
He said the illegal activities at the borders rather led to delays, increased the prices of goods and also reduced the competitive nature of the route.
Mr Pakoun said if the situation was not checked, it would be difficult for the sub-region to improve on its trade activities.
He said between Tema and Ouagadougou drivers encountered seven police barriers in Ghana and two in Burkina Faso, eight customs checkpoints in Ghana and three in Burkina Faso and one Gendarmerie (Military Police) in Burkina Faso.
According to him, between Ouagadougou and Bamako drivers encountered three police stops in Burkina Faso and eight in Mali, three customs checkpoints in Burkina Faso and seven in Mali and one military police checkpoint in Burkina Faso and 12 in Mali.
Mr Pakoun noted that from Lome to Ouagadougou drivers encountered two police stops in Burkina Faso and four in Togo, three customs checkpoints in Burkina Faso and four in Togo and one military police checkpoint in Burkina Faso and four in Togo.
He said the 75 checkpoints represented a 12 per cent increase in the third quarter of 2008, during which period the value of bribery only increased along the primary corridor in Mali, while the level of bribery paid generally declined along the other corridors.
He, therefore, advised governments to take appropriate measures to improve the movement of goods and people along the Ghana, Mali, Burkina Faso and Togo corridors.
According to him, although the Ghana Police Service had issued a directive that there should not be more than four checkpoints along some routes such as Tema-Paga, the research found that there were seven checkpoints on that route.
Banks urged to ensure electronic compatibility with GIPSS
Daily Graphic, Pg. 27, Thursday Dec. 11/08
Story Rebecca Quaicoe-Duho
THE Bank of Ghana has called on all financial institutions to ensure that their electronic products and services are compatible with the systems being put in place by the Ghana Inter-bank Payment and Settlement System (GIPSS).
The GIPSS is an independent body responsible for the various components of the country's payment and settlement system infrastructure.
The Assistant Director of Banking Supervision Department of the BOG, Mr Philip E. Cobbinah, made the call at the official opening of a new savings and loans company known as Advans Ghana Savings and Loans Limited in Accra on Friday.
Mr Cobbinah mentioned the electronic products currently being used in the country to include the national switch, biometric smart cards, cheque code line clearing, real time gross settlement systems and the automated clearing house.
He said the BoG, in collaboration with the Bankers Association and as part of measures to deepen financial inter-mediation, established the GIPSS to regulate the financial sector.
He said in recent times, the financial sector witnessed the emergence of a number of new financial institutions, the rapid opening of their branches, introduction of innovative products and services and extension of banking hours, among others.
“This increased dynamism has encouraged healthy competition in the industry and has brought in its wake the introduction of enhanced financial services tailored to meet the needs of customers, for which the BoG is fully supportive,” Mr Cobbinah said.
He said financial inter-mediation played an important role in the socio-economic development and growth of any nation, adding that financial institutions were at the heart of this inter-mediation process.
“By mobilising funds from surplus units and transferring the needed funds to deficit units, financial institutions make resources available to stimulate economic activities,” Mr Cobbinah said, adding that financial institutions channelled idle resources into investment and development projects.
In an address read on his behalf, the Minister of State at the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning (MFEP), Dr Anthony Akoto Osei, said the government had put in place several strategies aimed at encouraging the establishment of micro-financial institutions and supporting their efforts as part of the ongoing financial sector reforms to deepen the scope and scale of financial services and payment systems for the country.
He said as an economy in which 90 per cent of companies were small and medium enterprises, the government, in its desire to support this vital sector, had sourced a US$25-million facility from its development partners and a US$50-million micro-credit and small loans fund in addition to the establishment of a Venture Capital Trust Fund and a US$118.9 million project, all to support SMEs to get increased access to credit at a cheaper cost to enable them to grow.
He urged all institutions and the private sector in general to take advantage of the enabling environment created by the government to expand and strengthen the economy.
The Board Chairman of Advans, Mr Claud Flagon, in an address, said the company chose to operate in Ghana because of the peaceful environment and stable economy of the country.
He said the company was going to create an enabling environment for a network service which wouldl be beneficial to its customers.
The Managing Director of Advans, Mr Tongiy Gravot, in a welcoming address, said the company’s aim was to provide microfinance services to small and medium enterprises.
Story Rebecca Quaicoe-Duho
THE Bank of Ghana has called on all financial institutions to ensure that their electronic products and services are compatible with the systems being put in place by the Ghana Inter-bank Payment and Settlement System (GIPSS).
The GIPSS is an independent body responsible for the various components of the country's payment and settlement system infrastructure.
The Assistant Director of Banking Supervision Department of the BOG, Mr Philip E. Cobbinah, made the call at the official opening of a new savings and loans company known as Advans Ghana Savings and Loans Limited in Accra on Friday.
Mr Cobbinah mentioned the electronic products currently being used in the country to include the national switch, biometric smart cards, cheque code line clearing, real time gross settlement systems and the automated clearing house.
He said the BoG, in collaboration with the Bankers Association and as part of measures to deepen financial inter-mediation, established the GIPSS to regulate the financial sector.
He said in recent times, the financial sector witnessed the emergence of a number of new financial institutions, the rapid opening of their branches, introduction of innovative products and services and extension of banking hours, among others.
“This increased dynamism has encouraged healthy competition in the industry and has brought in its wake the introduction of enhanced financial services tailored to meet the needs of customers, for which the BoG is fully supportive,” Mr Cobbinah said.
He said financial inter-mediation played an important role in the socio-economic development and growth of any nation, adding that financial institutions were at the heart of this inter-mediation process.
“By mobilising funds from surplus units and transferring the needed funds to deficit units, financial institutions make resources available to stimulate economic activities,” Mr Cobbinah said, adding that financial institutions channelled idle resources into investment and development projects.
In an address read on his behalf, the Minister of State at the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning (MFEP), Dr Anthony Akoto Osei, said the government had put in place several strategies aimed at encouraging the establishment of micro-financial institutions and supporting their efforts as part of the ongoing financial sector reforms to deepen the scope and scale of financial services and payment systems for the country.
He said as an economy in which 90 per cent of companies were small and medium enterprises, the government, in its desire to support this vital sector, had sourced a US$25-million facility from its development partners and a US$50-million micro-credit and small loans fund in addition to the establishment of a Venture Capital Trust Fund and a US$118.9 million project, all to support SMEs to get increased access to credit at a cheaper cost to enable them to grow.
He urged all institutions and the private sector in general to take advantage of the enabling environment created by the government to expand and strengthen the economy.
The Board Chairman of Advans, Mr Claud Flagon, in an address, said the company chose to operate in Ghana because of the peaceful environment and stable economy of the country.
He said the company was going to create an enabling environment for a network service which wouldl be beneficial to its customers.
The Managing Director of Advans, Mr Tongiy Gravot, in a welcoming address, said the company’s aim was to provide microfinance services to small and medium enterprises.
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
WiLDAF awards eight institutions.....For role in curbing gender based violence
Daily Graphic, Pg 11, Dec. 2/12/08
Story: Rebecca Quaicoe Duho
AS part of activities to mark this year’s 16 days of activism against gender violence, Women in Law and Development (WiLDAF) has given awards to eight institutions for their role in helping to curb gender-based violence in the country.
They are the Gender Centre, the Domestic Violence Coalition, Leadership and Advocacy for Women (LAWA) Ghana, the Law Reform Commission, the Ark Foundation, FIDA-Ghana, the Domestic Violence and Victims Support Unit (DOVVSU) of the Ghana Police Service and the Ministry of Women and Children's Affairs.
The 16 days of activism is held from November 27 every year. This year's celebration is being held on the theme "Human Rights for Women: Human Right for All".
A lecturer at the Centre for Gender Studies at the University of Ghana, Legon, Professor Akosua Adomako Ampofo, in an address said “daily, all over the world, women are abused by colleagues, friends, family members and intimate partners”.
She said violence had a significant impact on the health and life expectancy of women and that the World Bank estimates that rape and domestic abuse accounted for five per cent of healthy years of life lost to women of reproductive age in developing countries.
The National Programmes Co-ordinator of WiLDAF, Ms Bernice Sam, said the time had come for people to shun violence and seek the welfare of the abused.
Nana Sekyima of the African Women Development Fund (AWDF) commended gender activists and said Ghana was a shinning example to other African countries who had fought for years for the passage of the Domestic Violence Act.
She said the AWDF supported women in areas of human rights and peace building.
Story: Rebecca Quaicoe Duho
AS part of activities to mark this year’s 16 days of activism against gender violence, Women in Law and Development (WiLDAF) has given awards to eight institutions for their role in helping to curb gender-based violence in the country.
They are the Gender Centre, the Domestic Violence Coalition, Leadership and Advocacy for Women (LAWA) Ghana, the Law Reform Commission, the Ark Foundation, FIDA-Ghana, the Domestic Violence and Victims Support Unit (DOVVSU) of the Ghana Police Service and the Ministry of Women and Children's Affairs.
The 16 days of activism is held from November 27 every year. This year's celebration is being held on the theme "Human Rights for Women: Human Right for All".
A lecturer at the Centre for Gender Studies at the University of Ghana, Legon, Professor Akosua Adomako Ampofo, in an address said “daily, all over the world, women are abused by colleagues, friends, family members and intimate partners”.
She said violence had a significant impact on the health and life expectancy of women and that the World Bank estimates that rape and domestic abuse accounted for five per cent of healthy years of life lost to women of reproductive age in developing countries.
The National Programmes Co-ordinator of WiLDAF, Ms Bernice Sam, said the time had come for people to shun violence and seek the welfare of the abused.
Nana Sekyima of the African Women Development Fund (AWDF) commended gender activists and said Ghana was a shinning example to other African countries who had fought for years for the passage of the Domestic Violence Act.
She said the AWDF supported women in areas of human rights and peace building.
Domestic violence and the HIV connection
Daily Graphic, Tuesday Dec.16, pg 11
Story: Rebecca Quaicoe-Duho
“Mothers-in-law! Mine told me when her son married me that when he beats me or maltreats me, I should not complain or report to anyone. In order words, she knew her son was going to beat me no matter what.
“True to my mother-in-laws expectations, my husband beat me at the least chance for more than 17 years. One day, I got fed-up and grabbed him when he was beating me. I beat him flat. I was so surprised that I could beat him and I felt sorry for having wasted all these years. All this time that he was beating me, I never reported to anyone but when I beat him, he went to the police, they laughed at him. The tables had turned. He went to report to the chief. I was called by the chief to answer for abomination. I said I would not apologise and that he could divorce me because I was fed up. His family members said if he should divorce me, they would take their dowry back. I told them that if they want their dowry back, then they should put the children I had bore him back inside my womb, restore my virginity and repair my uterus. Then I went to my father and threatened him not to return any dowry.
“The marriage was dissolved without any dowry being returned. They left the children for me to care for. Not a single ‘kobo’ from him or his family. I raised them without complaint and my daughter finished training college. Immediately she found someone to marry, my ex-husband and his people resurfaced requesting her dowry that they were using that to replace what I refused to return.
“I decided that no man would ever take me for granted. I acquired some land and when the chief heard about it, he wanted to stop me because it is an abomination for a woman to build! I said to him that I was not going to sit around for any man to build for me before I put a roof over my children’s head. I went ahead and put up the house. I am still alive. They think I am something else and call me names but actually they all admire me. The Chief even seeks my advice now and then.
“As for me, ever since I beat my husband, I have never looked back. I have not beaten anyone since but I still feel good for giving him a taste of his own medicine. Maybe that is when I found my confidence”.
This is the true story of a woman who was in an abusive marriage and was published in a research finding undertaken in 2007 by Actionaid Ghana in a book entitled Violence and HIV and AIDS: The Interface, and captioned ‘Voices of women in Northern Ghana’.
Some of the testimonies of the 122 women and 100 men captured showed that majority of them who were HIV positive contracted it in polygamous marriages, through force sex, some contracted it because they were poor and had to indulge in multiple sexual acts and some had it due to false marriages.
Disseminating the research findings in Accra, the Deputy Regional Director of Rights to Play, Ms Yaa Peprah Amekudzi, said the objective of the project was to help reduce violence against women, which according to her played a critical role in exposing women to HIV.
She said the research which was done in six districts, two in each of the three northern regions namely, Jirapa and Lawra in Upper West, Talensi and Nabdam in Upper East and Tamale and Bole in the Northern regions was also aimed at highlighting the vulnerability of women to HIV and AIDS as a result of the violence they face.
The study, she said, identified examples of possible linkages between the different types of violence against women (VAW) and the incidence of HIV and further highlighted issues such as sexual violence against women, especially forced sex which according to the research increased women’s vulnerability to HIV.
Also the research found that the fear of violence prevented women from negotiating for safe sex, adding that fear of violence such as stigmatisation, abuse and physical assault also prevented women from testing or declaring their status.
It also states that stigma and violence meted to women who tested positive have caused them to turn to commercial sex to survive.
According to respondents in the research, ignorance about women’s and people’s rights; misinterpretation of religious and cultural practices; the power gap between males and females; and disregard of the rights of women to decision and sex, among others, are all causes of violence against women as well as poverty and lack of formal education.
On the consequences of violence against women in the community, the research identified that there was no considerable differentiation on the level of impact of violence against women on the community.
It said about 80 per cent of respondents said VAW retarded development in all facets, namely social, economic and political and therefore called for a holistic approach towards addressing violence.
In its recommendations which covered policy, programming, monitoring and evaluation, the research targeted key players such as religious bodies, chiefs and traditional authorities, non-governmental organisations and community members.
To further give impetus to addressing violence and HIV, the report made recommendations on advocacy strategies as well as how these strategies would be monitored for effectiveness and efficiency.
A Human Resource and International Development Expert, Mrs Lilly H. Bonney, who chaired the dissemination exercise, said it was time for the country to look at issues of culture and tradition, saying that no matter the level of education of people, culture and tradition still played an important role in their lives.
She also called for the leadership skills of women to be developed so that they could help in the general well-being of other women.
Story: Rebecca Quaicoe-Duho
“Mothers-in-law! Mine told me when her son married me that when he beats me or maltreats me, I should not complain or report to anyone. In order words, she knew her son was going to beat me no matter what.
“True to my mother-in-laws expectations, my husband beat me at the least chance for more than 17 years. One day, I got fed-up and grabbed him when he was beating me. I beat him flat. I was so surprised that I could beat him and I felt sorry for having wasted all these years. All this time that he was beating me, I never reported to anyone but when I beat him, he went to the police, they laughed at him. The tables had turned. He went to report to the chief. I was called by the chief to answer for abomination. I said I would not apologise and that he could divorce me because I was fed up. His family members said if he should divorce me, they would take their dowry back. I told them that if they want their dowry back, then they should put the children I had bore him back inside my womb, restore my virginity and repair my uterus. Then I went to my father and threatened him not to return any dowry.
“The marriage was dissolved without any dowry being returned. They left the children for me to care for. Not a single ‘kobo’ from him or his family. I raised them without complaint and my daughter finished training college. Immediately she found someone to marry, my ex-husband and his people resurfaced requesting her dowry that they were using that to replace what I refused to return.
“I decided that no man would ever take me for granted. I acquired some land and when the chief heard about it, he wanted to stop me because it is an abomination for a woman to build! I said to him that I was not going to sit around for any man to build for me before I put a roof over my children’s head. I went ahead and put up the house. I am still alive. They think I am something else and call me names but actually they all admire me. The Chief even seeks my advice now and then.
“As for me, ever since I beat my husband, I have never looked back. I have not beaten anyone since but I still feel good for giving him a taste of his own medicine. Maybe that is when I found my confidence”.
This is the true story of a woman who was in an abusive marriage and was published in a research finding undertaken in 2007 by Actionaid Ghana in a book entitled Violence and HIV and AIDS: The Interface, and captioned ‘Voices of women in Northern Ghana’.
Some of the testimonies of the 122 women and 100 men captured showed that majority of them who were HIV positive contracted it in polygamous marriages, through force sex, some contracted it because they were poor and had to indulge in multiple sexual acts and some had it due to false marriages.
Disseminating the research findings in Accra, the Deputy Regional Director of Rights to Play, Ms Yaa Peprah Amekudzi, said the objective of the project was to help reduce violence against women, which according to her played a critical role in exposing women to HIV.
She said the research which was done in six districts, two in each of the three northern regions namely, Jirapa and Lawra in Upper West, Talensi and Nabdam in Upper East and Tamale and Bole in the Northern regions was also aimed at highlighting the vulnerability of women to HIV and AIDS as a result of the violence they face.
The study, she said, identified examples of possible linkages between the different types of violence against women (VAW) and the incidence of HIV and further highlighted issues such as sexual violence against women, especially forced sex which according to the research increased women’s vulnerability to HIV.
Also the research found that the fear of violence prevented women from negotiating for safe sex, adding that fear of violence such as stigmatisation, abuse and physical assault also prevented women from testing or declaring their status.
It also states that stigma and violence meted to women who tested positive have caused them to turn to commercial sex to survive.
According to respondents in the research, ignorance about women’s and people’s rights; misinterpretation of religious and cultural practices; the power gap between males and females; and disregard of the rights of women to decision and sex, among others, are all causes of violence against women as well as poverty and lack of formal education.
On the consequences of violence against women in the community, the research identified that there was no considerable differentiation on the level of impact of violence against women on the community.
It said about 80 per cent of respondents said VAW retarded development in all facets, namely social, economic and political and therefore called for a holistic approach towards addressing violence.
In its recommendations which covered policy, programming, monitoring and evaluation, the research targeted key players such as religious bodies, chiefs and traditional authorities, non-governmental organisations and community members.
To further give impetus to addressing violence and HIV, the report made recommendations on advocacy strategies as well as how these strategies would be monitored for effectiveness and efficiency.
A Human Resource and International Development Expert, Mrs Lilly H. Bonney, who chaired the dissemination exercise, said it was time for the country to look at issues of culture and tradition, saying that no matter the level of education of people, culture and tradition still played an important role in their lives.
She also called for the leadership skills of women to be developed so that they could help in the general well-being of other women.
Let there be peace
Daily Graphic, (Sunday Special)
Story Rebecca Quaicoe Duho
THE Chairman of the National Peace Council, His Eminence Peter Cardinal Appiah Turkson has called on Ghanaians to ensure that the upcoming Presidential and Parliamentary elections are held in a peaceful manner.
According to him, it is the trust and hope of the council that “we shall all graciously accept the outcome of the elections, since that will be the people’s choice”.
The Chairman of the Council said this when the Council met with the ECOWAS Observer Election Mission in Accra on Friday.
The mission, led by Former Nigerian President, Gen. Yakubu Gowon and made up of Members of Parliament of other ECOWAS states and some media personnel is in Accra to observe Sunday’s presidential and parliamentary elections.
Cardinal Turkson who was briefing members of the mission on the work that the Council has so far undertaken since it was established some two years ago said despite its efforts and that of other peace organisations, the country was still bedevilled with pockets of chieftancy disputes which could lead to chaotic situations if not well addressed.
He said the politicisation of tribalism was not only a problem in Ghana but also across Africa and called on all to help address it.
He said the council has done everything possible within its means to ensure that such chieftancy or tribal disputes does not translate into the upcoming elections and therefore called on all to ensure that such a situation does not happen.
He commended efforts of other religious and non-governmental organisations saying that the council has also organised workshops for key stakeholders in the up-coming elections such as the security agencies and media personnel in all the 10 regions and said their effort will surely pay-off with a peaceful election.
The Chairman said the Council has also met with some first-time voters who they counselled and gave guidance on how to cast their votes peacefully.
Touching on some concerns raised during the Council’s meeting with former President Rawlings and some members of the NDC, Cardinal Turkson said it was time the country took the issue of incumbency serious during future elections.
He said the advantage that an incumbent government had over other parties was an issue that the constitution needs to address in future elections to ensure that state funds are not used for elections.
“The opposition always feels that the incumbent has an edge over it”, and this according to him is an issue that needed to be addressed.
He commended all the Presidential and Parliamentary aspirants saying that their ability to interact with each other gives the council the hope that all will be well.
He said in other African countries politicians do not have such fraternity and therefore what was happening in Ghana where Presidential aspirants have given their pledge to ensure that there will be peace, should be enumerated in other countries.
“In Ghana, party members are still friends and they display this publicly unlike in other countries and this gives us hope”, he said.
He took the opportunity to wish all the aspirants in both the presidential and Parliamentary elections the best of luck.
Story Rebecca Quaicoe Duho
THE Chairman of the National Peace Council, His Eminence Peter Cardinal Appiah Turkson has called on Ghanaians to ensure that the upcoming Presidential and Parliamentary elections are held in a peaceful manner.
According to him, it is the trust and hope of the council that “we shall all graciously accept the outcome of the elections, since that will be the people’s choice”.
The Chairman of the Council said this when the Council met with the ECOWAS Observer Election Mission in Accra on Friday.
The mission, led by Former Nigerian President, Gen. Yakubu Gowon and made up of Members of Parliament of other ECOWAS states and some media personnel is in Accra to observe Sunday’s presidential and parliamentary elections.
Cardinal Turkson who was briefing members of the mission on the work that the Council has so far undertaken since it was established some two years ago said despite its efforts and that of other peace organisations, the country was still bedevilled with pockets of chieftancy disputes which could lead to chaotic situations if not well addressed.
He said the politicisation of tribalism was not only a problem in Ghana but also across Africa and called on all to help address it.
He said the council has done everything possible within its means to ensure that such chieftancy or tribal disputes does not translate into the upcoming elections and therefore called on all to ensure that such a situation does not happen.
He commended efforts of other religious and non-governmental organisations saying that the council has also organised workshops for key stakeholders in the up-coming elections such as the security agencies and media personnel in all the 10 regions and said their effort will surely pay-off with a peaceful election.
The Chairman said the Council has also met with some first-time voters who they counselled and gave guidance on how to cast their votes peacefully.
Touching on some concerns raised during the Council’s meeting with former President Rawlings and some members of the NDC, Cardinal Turkson said it was time the country took the issue of incumbency serious during future elections.
He said the advantage that an incumbent government had over other parties was an issue that the constitution needs to address in future elections to ensure that state funds are not used for elections.
“The opposition always feels that the incumbent has an edge over it”, and this according to him is an issue that needed to be addressed.
He commended all the Presidential and Parliamentary aspirants saying that their ability to interact with each other gives the council the hope that all will be well.
He said in other African countries politicians do not have such fraternity and therefore what was happening in Ghana where Presidential aspirants have given their pledge to ensure that there will be peace, should be enumerated in other countries.
“In Ghana, party members are still friends and they display this publicly unlike in other countries and this gives us hope”, he said.
He took the opportunity to wish all the aspirants in both the presidential and Parliamentary elections the best of luck.
Monday, December 15, 2008
Mixed feelings greet news of run-off
Daily Graphic, Pg 3. Thursday, Dec. 11 2008
Story Rebecca Quaicoe
MANY Ghanaians yesterday received the news of the official results of the 2008 presidential election with mixed reaction.
Some residents of Accra jubilated on hearing that there was going to be a run-off, but others were disappointed that they would have to endure another gruelling electioneering in the next three weeks.
Still others were indifferent on hearing that there was going to be a run-off on December 28, 2008.
The run-off, which was announced by the Chairman of the Electoral Commission (EC), Dr Kwadwo Afari-Gyan in Accra, will be between Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), who polled 4,159,439 votes, representing 49.13 per cent of the total valid votes cast, and Professor John Evans Atta Mills of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), who polled 4,056,634 votes, representing 47.92 per cent.
Before the announcement, people were seen glued to their radio and television sets to hear the final declaration and after that there were pockets of jubilation, while others remained calm.
A hairdresser at Adabraka, Ms Saint Claire Adotey, said she was not happy with the run-off, but she was quick to add that it was good for every one to perform his or her civic duty as a patriotic citizen by voting on the new date.
She said she had hoped for negotiations to spare the country a second round but since that could not happen, she would go out on the day of the run-off and vote for her candidate.
Another lady who declined to mention her name said she was happy there was going to be a run-off.
She said that would be the time for people to actually take a bold decision to vote massively for their various parties to ensure that there was a clear winner.
Meanwhile, business activities at the central business district of Accra are picking up steadily, shaking off the election fever that had engulfed the country, reports Gifty Bamfo.
A visit to some busy centres within the district, including the CMB area and Makola, about 10.45 a.m. yesterday revealed that the usual brisk business activities were coming back, although at a slower pace, as a few hawkers, traders and buyers were seen shopping and interacting with one another.
Most of the hawkers and traders complained about the missing Christmas fever in the country, although they were hopeful that things would normalise when the election period was over.
They told the Daily Graphic that they were worried about the delay in announcing the election results which they believed had caused the low patronage of goods.
A tomato seller at CMB, who identified herself only as Georgina, said there was no sign of Christmas as the elections had overshadowed all activities pertaining to the festivities.
"My tomatoes are not being bought because the elections have created a lot of tension which has made everyone to forget about Christmas," she said.
Christmas in the country is often characterised by brisk shopping activities, particularly in the central business district of Accra, where both wholesale and retail trading take place.
However, the uncertainties that come with elections often put people on the alert to want to pass the democratic test before looking elsewhere. Ghana faced an arduous task to prove the maturity of its democracy as many African countries, including neighbouring Cote d’Ivoire, cast a slur on the ability of sub-Saharan African countries to organise successful elections.
A toy shop owner, Mr Eben Zerobabel, lamented the slow pace of business, saying the market presented a boom the same time last year, with buyers beginning their shopping as early as December 1.
“This year is different,” he said. “The elections have halted many business activities in the country,” the toy vendor added.
A rice seller, known only as Arthur, said there was low patronage, despite Monday’s Eid-ul-Adha Festival celebrated by Muslims, noting that on such occasions, “Muslims buy a lot of rice but this year our rice is almost intact”.
An onion seller, Mabel Sowah, said, “The elections have slowed the normal brisk business here at CMB. People are not buying my onions, although we are in December, the time when I look forward to food vendors buying a lot of the onions.”
Artificial wigs in Ghana are part of the fashion trend with different types and colours being introduced onto the markets for women to complement their beauty, particularly on festive occasions such as Christmas.
However, a visit to the market revealed there was low patronage of the product as intimated by Auntie Bea, a wig shop owner.
“We are in December but all the wigs I bought for the Christmas festivities have not been bought yet, I hope that after the elections everything would return to normal.”
At the Makola Market, the atmosphere was no different, as most of the shops were opened, with hawkers and buyers going about their normal businesses.
The usual brisk business was on the low side, as most of the people were seen discussing the election results.
Most of the people the Daily Graphic spoke with believed there was electoral tension, as they were surprised at the outcome of the results.
Auntie Cecilia, a lace material seller, said, “Most of the people are afraid that there could be conflict in the country if one party refuses to accept the results of the elections and this has really affected our market, although Christmas is around the corner.”
Story Rebecca Quaicoe
MANY Ghanaians yesterday received the news of the official results of the 2008 presidential election with mixed reaction.
Some residents of Accra jubilated on hearing that there was going to be a run-off, but others were disappointed that they would have to endure another gruelling electioneering in the next three weeks.
Still others were indifferent on hearing that there was going to be a run-off on December 28, 2008.
The run-off, which was announced by the Chairman of the Electoral Commission (EC), Dr Kwadwo Afari-Gyan in Accra, will be between Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), who polled 4,159,439 votes, representing 49.13 per cent of the total valid votes cast, and Professor John Evans Atta Mills of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), who polled 4,056,634 votes, representing 47.92 per cent.
Before the announcement, people were seen glued to their radio and television sets to hear the final declaration and after that there were pockets of jubilation, while others remained calm.
A hairdresser at Adabraka, Ms Saint Claire Adotey, said she was not happy with the run-off, but she was quick to add that it was good for every one to perform his or her civic duty as a patriotic citizen by voting on the new date.
She said she had hoped for negotiations to spare the country a second round but since that could not happen, she would go out on the day of the run-off and vote for her candidate.
Another lady who declined to mention her name said she was happy there was going to be a run-off.
She said that would be the time for people to actually take a bold decision to vote massively for their various parties to ensure that there was a clear winner.
Meanwhile, business activities at the central business district of Accra are picking up steadily, shaking off the election fever that had engulfed the country, reports Gifty Bamfo.
A visit to some busy centres within the district, including the CMB area and Makola, about 10.45 a.m. yesterday revealed that the usual brisk business activities were coming back, although at a slower pace, as a few hawkers, traders and buyers were seen shopping and interacting with one another.
Most of the hawkers and traders complained about the missing Christmas fever in the country, although they were hopeful that things would normalise when the election period was over.
They told the Daily Graphic that they were worried about the delay in announcing the election results which they believed had caused the low patronage of goods.
A tomato seller at CMB, who identified herself only as Georgina, said there was no sign of Christmas as the elections had overshadowed all activities pertaining to the festivities.
"My tomatoes are not being bought because the elections have created a lot of tension which has made everyone to forget about Christmas," she said.
Christmas in the country is often characterised by brisk shopping activities, particularly in the central business district of Accra, where both wholesale and retail trading take place.
However, the uncertainties that come with elections often put people on the alert to want to pass the democratic test before looking elsewhere. Ghana faced an arduous task to prove the maturity of its democracy as many African countries, including neighbouring Cote d’Ivoire, cast a slur on the ability of sub-Saharan African countries to organise successful elections.
A toy shop owner, Mr Eben Zerobabel, lamented the slow pace of business, saying the market presented a boom the same time last year, with buyers beginning their shopping as early as December 1.
“This year is different,” he said. “The elections have halted many business activities in the country,” the toy vendor added.
A rice seller, known only as Arthur, said there was low patronage, despite Monday’s Eid-ul-Adha Festival celebrated by Muslims, noting that on such occasions, “Muslims buy a lot of rice but this year our rice is almost intact”.
An onion seller, Mabel Sowah, said, “The elections have slowed the normal brisk business here at CMB. People are not buying my onions, although we are in December, the time when I look forward to food vendors buying a lot of the onions.”
Artificial wigs in Ghana are part of the fashion trend with different types and colours being introduced onto the markets for women to complement their beauty, particularly on festive occasions such as Christmas.
However, a visit to the market revealed there was low patronage of the product as intimated by Auntie Bea, a wig shop owner.
“We are in December but all the wigs I bought for the Christmas festivities have not been bought yet, I hope that after the elections everything would return to normal.”
At the Makola Market, the atmosphere was no different, as most of the shops were opened, with hawkers and buyers going about their normal businesses.
The usual brisk business was on the low side, as most of the people were seen discussing the election results.
Most of the people the Daily Graphic spoke with believed there was electoral tension, as they were surprised at the outcome of the results.
Auntie Cecilia, a lace material seller, said, “Most of the people are afraid that there could be conflict in the country if one party refuses to accept the results of the elections and this has really affected our market, although Christmas is around the corner.”
Resolve electoral disputes peacefully
Daily Graphic, Wed. Dec. 10/08 Pg 31
Story Rebecca Quaicoe Duho
THE Carter Centre has encourgaed all stakeholders in the just ended elections to use post election dispute resolution measures to ensure the peaceful resolution of electoral challenges in accordance with the country's constitution.
It has, therefore, lauded efforts by the Supreme Court of Ghana to address deficiencies in the electoral dispute process by dedicating judges to expedite legal challenges.
These were the preliminary statements of the Centre, read by the former Botswana President, Mr Quett Ketumile Masire, at a press conference in Accra.
Mr Masire led a 57-member observer team from the Cater Centre in the United States of America (USA), to observe the just ended presidential and parliamentary elections.
The Centre which observed the elections in 300 polling stations in 30 districts across the country, was established in 1982 by former US President Mr Jimmy Carter and his wife Rosalynn Carter.
It is committed, among other issues, to advancing human rights and alleviating unnecessary human suffering and, therefore, seeks to prevent and resolve conflicts, enhance freedom and democracy and improve health.
In the statement, the former Bostwana President commended Ghanaians for undertaking a peacefull elections saying that “Ghana is becoming a model democracy in the region and abroad. The Electoral Commission of Ghana continues to enjoy international recognition for its exemplary conduct”.
“We commend the efforts of Ghana's political parties, civil society, religious leaders, and others who actively promoted the peaceful contentstation of power as a prerequisite for Ghana's continued democratic development”, he added.
He said that the Center fully expects that as the final vote is tabulated, any challenges to the results will be handled peacefully through existing and constitutionally sanctioned procedures in an open and transparent manner.
Mr Masire went further to state that the competitiveness of the process is already apparent in the large number of parliamentary seats that have changed hands and commended “both the honest election and gracious defeat of contesting candidates, as well as the rights of all Ghanaian citizens to participate freely in the political process”.
According to the statement, the Centre in its mission however observed some strenghts and weaknesses in the just ended elections some of which were that while Ghana generally enjoys a strong legal framework for elections, the implementation of this legislation has not been consistent and mentioned some key areas where there were inconsistencies with the electoral legislation include the number of party agents per polling stations, the placement of party seals on ballot boxes during opening and closing and the determination of voter intent during the count.
The statement said while these issues did not appear to affect the integrity of the process and in some instances may have strengthened its transparency, it urged the Electoral Commission to ensure that practices and election legislation are aligned.
It further recommended that in future the EC should allocate additional voting booths on the basis of the number of registered voters per polling station to avoid situations where voters stayed in queues for long hours.
It also observed that although procedures for voting were largely followed in the majority of polling places visited, several procedures had the ability to undermine the secrecy of the ballot this it said was because in some places the privacy screen for voting did not adequately shield the voter from view.
Story Rebecca Quaicoe Duho
THE Carter Centre has encourgaed all stakeholders in the just ended elections to use post election dispute resolution measures to ensure the peaceful resolution of electoral challenges in accordance with the country's constitution.
It has, therefore, lauded efforts by the Supreme Court of Ghana to address deficiencies in the electoral dispute process by dedicating judges to expedite legal challenges.
These were the preliminary statements of the Centre, read by the former Botswana President, Mr Quett Ketumile Masire, at a press conference in Accra.
Mr Masire led a 57-member observer team from the Cater Centre in the United States of America (USA), to observe the just ended presidential and parliamentary elections.
The Centre which observed the elections in 300 polling stations in 30 districts across the country, was established in 1982 by former US President Mr Jimmy Carter and his wife Rosalynn Carter.
It is committed, among other issues, to advancing human rights and alleviating unnecessary human suffering and, therefore, seeks to prevent and resolve conflicts, enhance freedom and democracy and improve health.
In the statement, the former Bostwana President commended Ghanaians for undertaking a peacefull elections saying that “Ghana is becoming a model democracy in the region and abroad. The Electoral Commission of Ghana continues to enjoy international recognition for its exemplary conduct”.
“We commend the efforts of Ghana's political parties, civil society, religious leaders, and others who actively promoted the peaceful contentstation of power as a prerequisite for Ghana's continued democratic development”, he added.
He said that the Center fully expects that as the final vote is tabulated, any challenges to the results will be handled peacefully through existing and constitutionally sanctioned procedures in an open and transparent manner.
Mr Masire went further to state that the competitiveness of the process is already apparent in the large number of parliamentary seats that have changed hands and commended “both the honest election and gracious defeat of contesting candidates, as well as the rights of all Ghanaian citizens to participate freely in the political process”.
According to the statement, the Centre in its mission however observed some strenghts and weaknesses in the just ended elections some of which were that while Ghana generally enjoys a strong legal framework for elections, the implementation of this legislation has not been consistent and mentioned some key areas where there were inconsistencies with the electoral legislation include the number of party agents per polling stations, the placement of party seals on ballot boxes during opening and closing and the determination of voter intent during the count.
The statement said while these issues did not appear to affect the integrity of the process and in some instances may have strengthened its transparency, it urged the Electoral Commission to ensure that practices and election legislation are aligned.
It further recommended that in future the EC should allocate additional voting booths on the basis of the number of registered voters per polling station to avoid situations where voters stayed in queues for long hours.
It also observed that although procedures for voting were largely followed in the majority of polling places visited, several procedures had the ability to undermine the secrecy of the ballot this it said was because in some places the privacy screen for voting did not adequately shield the voter from view.
Drinking spots around klottey-Korle shut for polls
Daily Graphic, Wed. Dec. 10/08
Story: Rebecca Quaicoe Duho
MOST drinking spots in and around the Klottey-Korle Constituency did not open for business due to Sunday’s polls.
Those which opened in the morning closed just when the ballots for both the presidential and parliamentary elections were being counted.
A visit to about six sites within and around the constituency showed that most drinking bar operators and some night-clubs were closed to ensure that people would not drink excessively.
At the Variety’s Bar and Evelyn’s Inn, both at Tudu, where most of its patrons are usually students from the Accra Polytechnic and its environs, both spots were closed for business the whole day.
A manager at Variety’s, Mr Michael Aboagye, told the Daily Graphic that both spots were not opened because of the elections.
Another spot, Old Timers, one of the oldest and most popular at Adabraka, was also closed for business on Sunday.
The place which is noted for its chilled drinks, Sunday ‘omo tuo’ and other local dishes and plays good local music to the admiration and dancing of both the youth and adults, did not open either for the whole day.
Also, Bermuda, a nightclub at Adabraka where most patrons spend their evenings with good hiplife and foreign tunes, especially on weekends, had its doors shut to its customers because of the elections.
A customer who showed up at the club around 9 p.m., was visibly disappointed when he turned the knob to open the door to the club and realised that it was firmly shut.
He lamented: “Oh for just some small drink and we have had to roam all of Adabraka!” He and his girlfriend were visibly disappointed and reluctantly left to continue their search for a place to sit and relax over some chilled bottles.
At Eclipse, also at Adabraka, the door to the club was closed to its patrons and cars were seen making U-turns to go and search elsewhere for a place to relax.
An old spot for senior citizens, Avenue Club House, where patrons are always assured of good quality and chilled beer especially ‘Bubra’, did not also open for business.
The next point of call was Semi’s at Asylum Down, the drinking bar which is always filled to capacity because it shows live football matches on a big screen and also boasts secure parking and spacious seating places for its clients. This spot too was no exception and was closed for business.
The bar, during the Ghana 2008 football tournament, was always filled to capacity with mostly journalists and other young people converging there to drink, watch and discuss matches.
This spot would ordinarily have been filled to capacity with patrons who would have loved to sit and analyse the polls with their colleagues, but they were disappointed and had to leave in the hope of settling elsewhere for a drink and some relaxation.
However, Strawberry at Adabraka, and Duncans at Osu, provided consolation to people who badly needed to take a beer or two.
At strawberry, people were seen dancing to loud music while others tried to discuss the voting exercise that had then taken place.
At Duncans, however, patrons were minding their own business as they drank their beer and Guinness and settled for kebabs and sausages instead of their favourite banku and tilapia because the food section was not operating.
The Daily Graphic, however, observed that none of the patrons was ready to discuss politics there and rather preferred to listen to the results in silence as they imbibed and quaffed their drink.
Story: Rebecca Quaicoe Duho
MOST drinking spots in and around the Klottey-Korle Constituency did not open for business due to Sunday’s polls.
Those which opened in the morning closed just when the ballots for both the presidential and parliamentary elections were being counted.
A visit to about six sites within and around the constituency showed that most drinking bar operators and some night-clubs were closed to ensure that people would not drink excessively.
At the Variety’s Bar and Evelyn’s Inn, both at Tudu, where most of its patrons are usually students from the Accra Polytechnic and its environs, both spots were closed for business the whole day.
A manager at Variety’s, Mr Michael Aboagye, told the Daily Graphic that both spots were not opened because of the elections.
Another spot, Old Timers, one of the oldest and most popular at Adabraka, was also closed for business on Sunday.
The place which is noted for its chilled drinks, Sunday ‘omo tuo’ and other local dishes and plays good local music to the admiration and dancing of both the youth and adults, did not open either for the whole day.
Also, Bermuda, a nightclub at Adabraka where most patrons spend their evenings with good hiplife and foreign tunes, especially on weekends, had its doors shut to its customers because of the elections.
A customer who showed up at the club around 9 p.m., was visibly disappointed when he turned the knob to open the door to the club and realised that it was firmly shut.
He lamented: “Oh for just some small drink and we have had to roam all of Adabraka!” He and his girlfriend were visibly disappointed and reluctantly left to continue their search for a place to sit and relax over some chilled bottles.
At Eclipse, also at Adabraka, the door to the club was closed to its patrons and cars were seen making U-turns to go and search elsewhere for a place to relax.
An old spot for senior citizens, Avenue Club House, where patrons are always assured of good quality and chilled beer especially ‘Bubra’, did not also open for business.
The next point of call was Semi’s at Asylum Down, the drinking bar which is always filled to capacity because it shows live football matches on a big screen and also boasts secure parking and spacious seating places for its clients. This spot too was no exception and was closed for business.
The bar, during the Ghana 2008 football tournament, was always filled to capacity with mostly journalists and other young people converging there to drink, watch and discuss matches.
This spot would ordinarily have been filled to capacity with patrons who would have loved to sit and analyse the polls with their colleagues, but they were disappointed and had to leave in the hope of settling elsewhere for a drink and some relaxation.
However, Strawberry at Adabraka, and Duncans at Osu, provided consolation to people who badly needed to take a beer or two.
At strawberry, people were seen dancing to loud music while others tried to discuss the voting exercise that had then taken place.
At Duncans, however, patrons were minding their own business as they drank their beer and Guinness and settled for kebabs and sausages instead of their favourite banku and tilapia because the food section was not operating.
The Daily Graphic, however, observed that none of the patrons was ready to discuss politics there and rather preferred to listen to the results in silence as they imbibed and quaffed their drink.
Electorates keep vigil for results
Daily Graphic, Pg. 29. Tuesday, Dec. 09/08
From the collation centre at the Art Centre of the Klottey-Korle constituency in the Greater Accra Region, Rebecca Quaicoe Duho reports that there was jubilation and shouts by NDC supporters who were at the centre to witness the collation of the results from the 111 polling stations in the constituency.
The NDC polled 30,575 votes as against 28,238 for the NPP, 881 for the CPP and 148 for the PNC.
The rest are 35 for DPP, 30 for DFP, 17 for the independent candidate and four for the RDP.
There were cheers for the NDC parliamentary Candidate Nii Armah Ashietey who won the parliamentary seat for the area.
The seat which was originally for the ruling NPP fell to the opposition when Mr Ashietey polled 30,633 votes as against his major opponent Mr Samuel Nii Tawiah who had 28,066 votes.
The constituency was among the few where a total of 101 women stood for parliamentary seats across the country but Madam Monica Quarcoopome, the only female candidate among the two men, had only 1,900 votes.
Anxious supporters were already jubilating before the Electoral Commission officials could finish the collation exercise at dawn.
From the collation centre at the Art Centre of the Klottey-Korle constituency in the Greater Accra Region, Rebecca Quaicoe Duho reports that there was jubilation and shouts by NDC supporters who were at the centre to witness the collation of the results from the 111 polling stations in the constituency.
The NDC polled 30,575 votes as against 28,238 for the NPP, 881 for the CPP and 148 for the PNC.
The rest are 35 for DPP, 30 for DFP, 17 for the independent candidate and four for the RDP.
There were cheers for the NDC parliamentary Candidate Nii Armah Ashietey who won the parliamentary seat for the area.
The seat which was originally for the ruling NPP fell to the opposition when Mr Ashietey polled 30,633 votes as against his major opponent Mr Samuel Nii Tawiah who had 28,066 votes.
The constituency was among the few where a total of 101 women stood for parliamentary seats across the country but Madam Monica Quarcoopome, the only female candidate among the two men, had only 1,900 votes.
Anxious supporters were already jubilating before the Electoral Commission officials could finish the collation exercise at dawn.
Massive turnout @ polls
Daily Graphic, Mon. Dec. 08/08
From the Korle-Klottey Constituency, Rebecca Quaicoe Duho reports that voting was delayed for 20 minutes at the Public Works Department (PWD) Castle polling station.
When the polls finally began at 7.20 am a total of 260 people had voted as at 10 am and the Presiding Officer, Mr. Richard Mingle in an interview said a total of 1,103 persons including Former President Flt. Lt. Jerry John Rawlings, were expected to cast their vote.
According to him the voting materials which arrived at 7 am was short of Absent Voters’ List and the Enumeration’s Forms but he said that was not going to cause any problem since they could rely on the list from the political parties polling agents to cross-check when people arrived with ID cards but could not find their names in the voters register.
At the Art Centre Polling Station ‘A’ and ‘B’ where a total of 2,221 people were expected to exercise their franchise, a long queue was observed as people patiently waited for their turn to vote.
Speaking to the Presiding Officer of the polling station ‘A’, Mr Chris Addo-Adodo he said voting started at 7:15 am and as at 10: 35 a total of 321 had voted and every thing was moving on smoothly.
The Officer at the polling station ‘B’, Mr Frank Nene-Yullie also said so far everything was moving on smoothly.
He said a total of 300 people had voted at 10:40 am and he was hopeful that everything would be as peaceful as it started.
He was observed busily sorting out people who had misplaced their ID cards and also those who had transferred their votes to the centre.
At the Cristal City Temporal Booth in Adabraka, bollot papers were brought in after 8 am as anxious voters had queued since dawn to cast their votes.
The ballots papers were being counted before voting as at 8:12 am when the Daily Graphic got to scene.
A voter at the center told the Daily Graphic that a wrong register was brought to the centre at 7 am and it had to be taken back resulting in the delay.
From the Korle-Klottey Constituency, Rebecca Quaicoe Duho reports that voting was delayed for 20 minutes at the Public Works Department (PWD) Castle polling station.
When the polls finally began at 7.20 am a total of 260 people had voted as at 10 am and the Presiding Officer, Mr. Richard Mingle in an interview said a total of 1,103 persons including Former President Flt. Lt. Jerry John Rawlings, were expected to cast their vote.
According to him the voting materials which arrived at 7 am was short of Absent Voters’ List and the Enumeration’s Forms but he said that was not going to cause any problem since they could rely on the list from the political parties polling agents to cross-check when people arrived with ID cards but could not find their names in the voters register.
At the Art Centre Polling Station ‘A’ and ‘B’ where a total of 2,221 people were expected to exercise their franchise, a long queue was observed as people patiently waited for their turn to vote.
Speaking to the Presiding Officer of the polling station ‘A’, Mr Chris Addo-Adodo he said voting started at 7:15 am and as at 10: 35 a total of 321 had voted and every thing was moving on smoothly.
The Officer at the polling station ‘B’, Mr Frank Nene-Yullie also said so far everything was moving on smoothly.
He said a total of 300 people had voted at 10:40 am and he was hopeful that everything would be as peaceful as it started.
He was observed busily sorting out people who had misplaced their ID cards and also those who had transferred their votes to the centre.
At the Cristal City Temporal Booth in Adabraka, bollot papers were brought in after 8 am as anxious voters had queued since dawn to cast their votes.
The ballots papers were being counted before voting as at 8:12 am when the Daily Graphic got to scene.
A voter at the center told the Daily Graphic that a wrong register was brought to the centre at 7 am and it had to be taken back resulting in the delay.
Tuesday, December 2, 2008
More than 300,000 living with HIV/AIDS
Daily Graphic, Pg 3, Tues. Dec. 02/08
Story: Rebecca Quaicoe Duho & MacLiberty Misrowoda
MORE than 300,000 Ghanaians are said to be living with HIV and AIDS, the Director General of the Ghana AIDS Commission, Prof Sakyi Awuku Amoa, has said.
Prof Amoa said the fight against HIV and AIDS has become the responsibility of the general public, and called for leaders in the country to fight the stigma associated with it.
“The individuals living with the disease can no longer fight alone, we must all get involved,” he added.
Prof Amoa was speaking at the 20th World AIDS Day durbar held in Accra on the theme ”Leadership Reducing Stigma and Discrimination”.
According to him, through the efforts of the commission people living with AIDS were now able to come out to declare their status, a development which, he said, was not the case some few years ago.
“There are more than 500 associations of people living with AIDS in the country, and this has tremendously reduced the challenges associated with stigmatisation,” he said.
The Presidential Adviser on HIV and AIDS, Prof Fred T. Sai, said the theme for last year’s AIDS Day had been maintained this year because it continued to be relevant in the fight against HIV and AIDS in the country.
Prof Sai said the theme threw a challenge to all, not only high office holders and leaders on HIV and AIDS issues, but also leaders in the family, communities and social groups and associations in the country.
“Leadership by personal example is particularly needed in working towards reducing stigma and discrimination against people living with HIV,” he added.
Prof Sai emphasised that the theme challenged all sections of society to demonstrate in the churches and mosques, in the ministries, in Parliament and in schools the need to avoid the disease.
“We need to remind ourselves that being silent about AIDS is not the best way to sustain the drive and momentum that a fight against such an epidemic requires”.
He acknowledged the important financial support and technical assistance given over the years by development partners but was quick to add that more could be done.
The US Ambassador, H. E. Donald G. Teitelbaum, said the number of people living with HIV and AIDS in Ghana was enough to fill the Baba Yara Stadium in Kumasi five times, adding that every one of them were persons with name, face and life.
He said that the task ahead of Ghanaians in fighting HIV and AIDS was enormous and needed leadership to accelerate it.
“Today is World AIDS Day, but to defeat AIDS, we must focus on AIDS every day of the year; only then can we hope to stop people from becoming infected.
A book on the voice of women in Northen Ghana, titled “Violence and HIV and AIDS: The Interface”, was launched.
Launching the book, the Country Director, Action AID Ghana, Ms Adwoa Kwateng Kluvitse, called on the government to make provision for the economic empowerment of women in the national budget as a way of reducing the number of women who were forced into survival sex.
The Management of Graphic Communications Group Limited (GCGL) yesterday organised a Voluntary Counselling and Testing programme for its staff and their dependants as part of this year’s celebration of World AIDS Day.
The programme, which was preceded with a two-day training of trainers workshop for some staff members, was aimed at encouraging staff of the company to know their HIV status.
According to the 2008 Report on the Global AIDS Epidemic released in July, it is estimated that 250,000 people were living with HIV and AIDS as at the end of 2007 in Ghana.
Around that same period, it further estimated that 1.9 per cent of adults aged 15-49 in Ghana were living with HIV and AIDS and out of this number an estimated 60 per cent of the cases occurred among women.
Also, it further estimated that 17,000 children aged 0-15 were living with HIV and as at the end of 2007, an estimated 21,000 people had died from AIDS in the country.
It is in the light of this statistics that the Resident Doctor of the GCGL, Dr Aidoo?????????, said the company deemed it necessary to introduce its staff to VCT, since the issue of HIV and AIDS affected all.
He said the company, in July this year, organised the first of such programmes and according to him, over 70 staff members took part in the exercise and he hoped that this time around more staff members and their dependants would take part in the VCT exercise.
He said it was prudent that the company educated its staff so that it did not spend more funds on treatment when they contracted the virus out of ignorance.
He said the company was in the process of finalising a workplace policy to protect its staff, especially from stigmatisation.
“HIV is real, people sometimes think it is far off,” Dr Aidoo said and advised that there was the need for awareness to be created so that people would realise that they could not just go to bed with anybody at all and walk away free.
“Treatment is available, so people should not shy away from knowing their HIV status,” he advised. The Programme Director of the Ghana Business Coalition Against HIV and AIDS (GBCA), Dr Derrick Nii Armah Aryee, said the group, with technical support from the German Technical Corporation, provided voluntary counselling and testing to organisations and institutions.
He said the group, of which the GCGL is a member, was made up of 26 organisations and a member of the Pan-African Network of Business Coalition.
Assisted by the Programmes Officer of the GBCA, Dr Adraiana Ignea, who is from the Chartered Institute of Makerting and GTZ, Dr Aryee said the coalition had assisted some of its members to draft workplace policies and organise fora for members to upgrade their knowledge on current happenings concerning HIV and AIDS.
Story: Rebecca Quaicoe Duho & MacLiberty Misrowoda
MORE than 300,000 Ghanaians are said to be living with HIV and AIDS, the Director General of the Ghana AIDS Commission, Prof Sakyi Awuku Amoa, has said.
Prof Amoa said the fight against HIV and AIDS has become the responsibility of the general public, and called for leaders in the country to fight the stigma associated with it.
“The individuals living with the disease can no longer fight alone, we must all get involved,” he added.
Prof Amoa was speaking at the 20th World AIDS Day durbar held in Accra on the theme ”Leadership Reducing Stigma and Discrimination”.
According to him, through the efforts of the commission people living with AIDS were now able to come out to declare their status, a development which, he said, was not the case some few years ago.
“There are more than 500 associations of people living with AIDS in the country, and this has tremendously reduced the challenges associated with stigmatisation,” he said.
The Presidential Adviser on HIV and AIDS, Prof Fred T. Sai, said the theme for last year’s AIDS Day had been maintained this year because it continued to be relevant in the fight against HIV and AIDS in the country.
Prof Sai said the theme threw a challenge to all, not only high office holders and leaders on HIV and AIDS issues, but also leaders in the family, communities and social groups and associations in the country.
“Leadership by personal example is particularly needed in working towards reducing stigma and discrimination against people living with HIV,” he added.
Prof Sai emphasised that the theme challenged all sections of society to demonstrate in the churches and mosques, in the ministries, in Parliament and in schools the need to avoid the disease.
“We need to remind ourselves that being silent about AIDS is not the best way to sustain the drive and momentum that a fight against such an epidemic requires”.
He acknowledged the important financial support and technical assistance given over the years by development partners but was quick to add that more could be done.
The US Ambassador, H. E. Donald G. Teitelbaum, said the number of people living with HIV and AIDS in Ghana was enough to fill the Baba Yara Stadium in Kumasi five times, adding that every one of them were persons with name, face and life.
He said that the task ahead of Ghanaians in fighting HIV and AIDS was enormous and needed leadership to accelerate it.
“Today is World AIDS Day, but to defeat AIDS, we must focus on AIDS every day of the year; only then can we hope to stop people from becoming infected.
A book on the voice of women in Northen Ghana, titled “Violence and HIV and AIDS: The Interface”, was launched.
Launching the book, the Country Director, Action AID Ghana, Ms Adwoa Kwateng Kluvitse, called on the government to make provision for the economic empowerment of women in the national budget as a way of reducing the number of women who were forced into survival sex.
The Management of Graphic Communications Group Limited (GCGL) yesterday organised a Voluntary Counselling and Testing programme for its staff and their dependants as part of this year’s celebration of World AIDS Day.
The programme, which was preceded with a two-day training of trainers workshop for some staff members, was aimed at encouraging staff of the company to know their HIV status.
According to the 2008 Report on the Global AIDS Epidemic released in July, it is estimated that 250,000 people were living with HIV and AIDS as at the end of 2007 in Ghana.
Around that same period, it further estimated that 1.9 per cent of adults aged 15-49 in Ghana were living with HIV and AIDS and out of this number an estimated 60 per cent of the cases occurred among women.
Also, it further estimated that 17,000 children aged 0-15 were living with HIV and as at the end of 2007, an estimated 21,000 people had died from AIDS in the country.
It is in the light of this statistics that the Resident Doctor of the GCGL, Dr Aidoo?????????, said the company deemed it necessary to introduce its staff to VCT, since the issue of HIV and AIDS affected all.
He said the company, in July this year, organised the first of such programmes and according to him, over 70 staff members took part in the exercise and he hoped that this time around more staff members and their dependants would take part in the VCT exercise.
He said it was prudent that the company educated its staff so that it did not spend more funds on treatment when they contracted the virus out of ignorance.
He said the company was in the process of finalising a workplace policy to protect its staff, especially from stigmatisation.
“HIV is real, people sometimes think it is far off,” Dr Aidoo said and advised that there was the need for awareness to be created so that people would realise that they could not just go to bed with anybody at all and walk away free.
“Treatment is available, so people should not shy away from knowing their HIV status,” he advised. The Programme Director of the Ghana Business Coalition Against HIV and AIDS (GBCA), Dr Derrick Nii Armah Aryee, said the group, with technical support from the German Technical Corporation, provided voluntary counselling and testing to organisations and institutions.
He said the group, of which the GCGL is a member, was made up of 26 organisations and a member of the Pan-African Network of Business Coalition.
Assisted by the Programmes Officer of the GBCA, Dr Adraiana Ignea, who is from the Chartered Institute of Makerting and GTZ, Dr Aryee said the coalition had assisted some of its members to draft workplace policies and organise fora for members to upgrade their knowledge on current happenings concerning HIV and AIDS.
ECG will ensure non-stop power supply
Daily Graphic, pg 35, Mon. Dec. 01/08
Story & Picture: Rebecca Quaicoe Duho
THE Managing Director of the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG), Mr Jude Adu Amankwa, has assured Ghanaians that the country will have uninterrupted power supply during and after the forthcoming elections.
He said the ECG was working fervently to ensure that the recent power outages in the country did not occur during and after the elections.
The MD gave the assurance when he inspected one of the power lines at the Achimota sub station ‘H’ in Dzorwulu, which burst into flames last Thursday morning due to high voltage.
The incident which disrupted power supply to one third of Accra occurred when the Minister of Energy, Mr Felix Owusu Adjapong, was at the site together with officials of the ECG and Volta River Authority (VRA) to ascertain the cause of the frequent power outages in Accra.
The explosion occurred at 9.57 a.m., giving off a thunderous noise accompanied by flames and fumes, and was the second time in a week that particular line had caught fire.
The earlier incident, according to officials of the ECG, occurred when a vegetable grower set fire to some weeds around the power lines.
A team from the ECG within an hour were brought in to work on the cables so as to restore power to the affected areas, which included Alajo, Industrial Area, Kotobabi and parts of Makola.
Mr Adu Amankwa said his men were working around the clock to ensure that power supply just before, during and after the elections were as normal as possible so as not to create room for people to cause any mischief.
He said the ECG had set-up an emergency telephone line where people could call and complain whenever they experienced any power failure and gave the number as 021611611.
The Energy Minister had earlier said that the incident was a clear manifestation that no one was sabotaging electricity supply in the country because of the forthcoming elections, saying the problem was related more to the use of out-moded equipment.
Mr Adjapong said the government was seriously working on resourcing the ECG so that it coul upgrade its equipment to ensure efficiency in energy supply.
He said the ECG needed $980m to transform the energy sector over a period of five years but said the government had only been able to provide $250m in the last two years.
He was hopeful, however, that about half of the needed funds would be made available to the company next year.
The Chief Executive Officer of the VRA, Mr Owura Sarfo, said the present energy capacity of the Akosombo Dam ( 1,400 megawatts) exceeded the country’s energy needs of 1,280 , emphasising that everything was on course.
He reiterated the fact that most of the energy problems that the country was facing was due to technical problems, saying that the VRA was generating enough power to meet the needs of the whole country.
The CEO of the Ghana Grid Company (GRIDCO), a private energy supplier in the country, Mr Joseph Wiafe, said the company had the capacity to supply the needed energy but also attributed most of its failures to unforeseen circumstances such as lightening and human activities such as bush burning.
The tour also took the team to the Makola substation ‘G’ and the Osu primary substation.
Story & Picture: Rebecca Quaicoe Duho
THE Managing Director of the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG), Mr Jude Adu Amankwa, has assured Ghanaians that the country will have uninterrupted power supply during and after the forthcoming elections.
He said the ECG was working fervently to ensure that the recent power outages in the country did not occur during and after the elections.
The MD gave the assurance when he inspected one of the power lines at the Achimota sub station ‘H’ in Dzorwulu, which burst into flames last Thursday morning due to high voltage.
The incident which disrupted power supply to one third of Accra occurred when the Minister of Energy, Mr Felix Owusu Adjapong, was at the site together with officials of the ECG and Volta River Authority (VRA) to ascertain the cause of the frequent power outages in Accra.
The explosion occurred at 9.57 a.m., giving off a thunderous noise accompanied by flames and fumes, and was the second time in a week that particular line had caught fire.
The earlier incident, according to officials of the ECG, occurred when a vegetable grower set fire to some weeds around the power lines.
A team from the ECG within an hour were brought in to work on the cables so as to restore power to the affected areas, which included Alajo, Industrial Area, Kotobabi and parts of Makola.
Mr Adu Amankwa said his men were working around the clock to ensure that power supply just before, during and after the elections were as normal as possible so as not to create room for people to cause any mischief.
He said the ECG had set-up an emergency telephone line where people could call and complain whenever they experienced any power failure and gave the number as 021611611.
The Energy Minister had earlier said that the incident was a clear manifestation that no one was sabotaging electricity supply in the country because of the forthcoming elections, saying the problem was related more to the use of out-moded equipment.
Mr Adjapong said the government was seriously working on resourcing the ECG so that it coul upgrade its equipment to ensure efficiency in energy supply.
He said the ECG needed $980m to transform the energy sector over a period of five years but said the government had only been able to provide $250m in the last two years.
He was hopeful, however, that about half of the needed funds would be made available to the company next year.
The Chief Executive Officer of the VRA, Mr Owura Sarfo, said the present energy capacity of the Akosombo Dam ( 1,400 megawatts) exceeded the country’s energy needs of 1,280 , emphasising that everything was on course.
He reiterated the fact that most of the energy problems that the country was facing was due to technical problems, saying that the VRA was generating enough power to meet the needs of the whole country.
The CEO of the Ghana Grid Company (GRIDCO), a private energy supplier in the country, Mr Joseph Wiafe, said the company had the capacity to supply the needed energy but also attributed most of its failures to unforeseen circumstances such as lightening and human activities such as bush burning.
The tour also took the team to the Makola substation ‘G’ and the Osu primary substation.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)