Page 44: March 10, 2008.
Story: Albert K. Salia
THE police have mounted a search for the sales representative of OLAM Ghana Limited for the Central and Western regions, Sylvanus Sena Anyigba, for defrauding his employers of GH¢45,000.
It is believed that the amount involved could be more than what has been detected so far.
Sylvanus, 25, who was employed on November 20, 2007, is alleged to have collected money from customers of the company between December 2007 and February 10, 2008 and absconded thereafter.
A source at the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) Headquarters told the Daily Graphic on Wednesday that the suspect managed to convince clients of the company to settle their indebtedness through cash.
It said the normal mode of payment was for clients to issue cheques in the name of the company but Sylvanus, on assumption of duty, informed the clients that the company had changed the mode of payment from cheques to cash.
It said Sylvanus, after collecting the cash, then issued hand-written receipts to the clients.
According to the source, the company called for a meeting with all its sales representatives across the country in Accra on February 16, 2008 to discuss operational matters.
It said Sylvanus, who had earlier jumped bail in another theft case in Tema, failed to attend the meeting and efforts to contact him on his cell phone proved futile.
It said some of the company’s clients later called the head office to ask for stocks, complaining that they had not been able to contact Sylvanus.
The source said when an officer was sent to Takoradi to check on Sylvanus, the officer did not meet him and when t said officer contacted some clients to pay him, as they were indebted to the company, he was informed that they had settled their indebtedness to Sylvanus.
It said the company, therefore, reported the matter to the police to assist in apprehending Sylvanus, whom they believed could be hiding at Akatsi, Aflao, Ashaiman, Tema or Takoradi.
It said anyone with information should contact the Commercial Crime Unit at the CID Headquarters on 0244-206568 or 020-8765838.
The source said it was during initial investigations that it came to light that Sylvanus had also jumped bail in a case in which he was alleged to have stolen a cheque belonging to a member of staff of the Tema Oil Refinery last year.
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
Security guard wanted by police
Page 19: March 8, 2008.
Story: Albert K. Salia
A SECURITY guard of Japan Motors Company Limited, Duodu Antwi, who threatened to eliminate the wife and children of his employer, is being sought for by the police.
Antwi, who is five feet, seven inches tall, dark in complexion and slim, allegedly vacated his post after his undated, hand-written threatening letter got into the hands of the wrong person.
The letter, which was addressed to the chief security officer of the company, was delivered to the director of the company, Mr Salim Kanmonia.
Antwi, who signed the letter “The Secret Ex-soldiers as GH Alkaida”, complained that “Lebanese in the country have no respect for the military, the police and even the laws of the land and were using Ghanaians as slaves without paying them the correct salaries and wages”.
It wondered how a security officer could work for 12 hours and get paid for eight hours.
“Now if they don’t want to pay from their pocket, they will pay with their lives. We don’t want to cross the men themselves but their wives and children. Please give us Mr Salim Kanmonia’s wife’s name, his car number, the number of children he has and their names and where they attend school,” it demanded.
“Chief, this is all that we want from you. It will help you, myself and all Ghanaians,” it concluded.
According to Inspector Joseph Benefo Darkwah of the Public Affairs Unit of the Criminal Investigations Department (CID), it was a threat that the police were not taking kindly to at all.
He said considering the recent murders that shook the country, it was important that the public assisted the police to arrest the suspect.
He said Antwi was suspected to be hiding in Sunyani, Abesim, Berekum or Techiman, all in the Brong Ahafo Region.
Inspector Darkwah commended the complainant for coming forward to lodge the complaint and appealed to Ghanaians to be security conscious and report such threats for assistance.
Story: Albert K. Salia
A SECURITY guard of Japan Motors Company Limited, Duodu Antwi, who threatened to eliminate the wife and children of his employer, is being sought for by the police.
Antwi, who is five feet, seven inches tall, dark in complexion and slim, allegedly vacated his post after his undated, hand-written threatening letter got into the hands of the wrong person.
The letter, which was addressed to the chief security officer of the company, was delivered to the director of the company, Mr Salim Kanmonia.
Antwi, who signed the letter “The Secret Ex-soldiers as GH Alkaida”, complained that “Lebanese in the country have no respect for the military, the police and even the laws of the land and were using Ghanaians as slaves without paying them the correct salaries and wages”.
It wondered how a security officer could work for 12 hours and get paid for eight hours.
“Now if they don’t want to pay from their pocket, they will pay with their lives. We don’t want to cross the men themselves but their wives and children. Please give us Mr Salim Kanmonia’s wife’s name, his car number, the number of children he has and their names and where they attend school,” it demanded.
“Chief, this is all that we want from you. It will help you, myself and all Ghanaians,” it concluded.
According to Inspector Joseph Benefo Darkwah of the Public Affairs Unit of the Criminal Investigations Department (CID), it was a threat that the police were not taking kindly to at all.
He said considering the recent murders that shook the country, it was important that the public assisted the police to arrest the suspect.
He said Antwi was suspected to be hiding in Sunyani, Abesim, Berekum or Techiman, all in the Brong Ahafo Region.
Inspector Darkwah commended the complainant for coming forward to lodge the complaint and appealed to Ghanaians to be security conscious and report such threats for assistance.
Thursday, March 6, 2008
We are 51 today
Front Page: March 6, 2008.
Story: Albert K. Salia
TODAY is independence day.
A week-long celebration of Ghana’s 51 years of independence reaches its climax today with a parade of schoolchildren and the security agencies at the Independence Square.
The activities planned for the day, expected to be brisk and picturesque, will be supported by a mass band comprising the Ghana Armed Forces Central Band, the Ghana Police Central Band, the Ghana Navy Band and the Ghana Air Force Band.
They will bring down the curtain on a week of celebrations which have included the hoisting of flags and display of buntings, a parade by veterans, Muslim and Christian prayers, an inter-school debate and the presentation of State awards.
In attendance will be President J.A. Kufuor, Vice-President Aliu Mahama, other high-profile politicians and statesmen, as well as members of the Diplomatic Corps.
Thousands of Ghanaians from all walks of life are expected to throng the Independence Square to witness the parade.
It will be the last for Mr Kufuor as the President of the Republic and he is expected to use the opportunity to highlight the landmarks of his eight-year presidency and concerns over the upcoming elections in December.
The President is also expected to throw more light on the gains his administration has made in various sectors of the economy and the prospects of the country’s emerging oil industry.
According to the programme for the day, members of the public who intend to be part of the ceremony are expected to be seated by 6:30 a.m., while the contingents march onto the grounds at 7:20 a.m.
The Parade Commander will take over the parade at 8:00 a.m., with Ministers of State, Members of Parliament and the Diplomatic Corps scheduled to arrive at 8:05 a.m.
The Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), the Ministers of Education, Defence and the Interior, as well as the Chairman of the Council of State, will arrive between 8:15 a.m. and 8:20 a.m.
That will be followed by the arrival of the Chief Justice and the Speaker of Parliament at 8:25 a.m., to be followed by the Vice-President and his wife at 8:27 a.m.
President Kufuor and the First Lady, Theresa, will arrive at 8:30 a.m. and they will be heralded by the National Anthem, the National Pledge, traditional, Muslim and Christian prayers.
Soon after that, President Kufuor, accompanied by the Ministers of Education, the Interior and Defence, the IGP and the CDS will inspect the parade and light the perpetual flame.
This will be followed by the trooping of bands, a march past of contingents, a cultural pageant by schoolchildren and drum appellation.
The President will then deliver the Independence Anniversary Address and present awards to Service Chiefs and Regimental Sergeant Majors.
Parades involving the security agencies and schoolchildren are expected to be held in all the regional and district capitals to commemorate the anniversary.
Story: Albert K. Salia
TODAY is independence day.
A week-long celebration of Ghana’s 51 years of independence reaches its climax today with a parade of schoolchildren and the security agencies at the Independence Square.
The activities planned for the day, expected to be brisk and picturesque, will be supported by a mass band comprising the Ghana Armed Forces Central Band, the Ghana Police Central Band, the Ghana Navy Band and the Ghana Air Force Band.
They will bring down the curtain on a week of celebrations which have included the hoisting of flags and display of buntings, a parade by veterans, Muslim and Christian prayers, an inter-school debate and the presentation of State awards.
In attendance will be President J.A. Kufuor, Vice-President Aliu Mahama, other high-profile politicians and statesmen, as well as members of the Diplomatic Corps.
Thousands of Ghanaians from all walks of life are expected to throng the Independence Square to witness the parade.
It will be the last for Mr Kufuor as the President of the Republic and he is expected to use the opportunity to highlight the landmarks of his eight-year presidency and concerns over the upcoming elections in December.
The President is also expected to throw more light on the gains his administration has made in various sectors of the economy and the prospects of the country’s emerging oil industry.
According to the programme for the day, members of the public who intend to be part of the ceremony are expected to be seated by 6:30 a.m., while the contingents march onto the grounds at 7:20 a.m.
The Parade Commander will take over the parade at 8:00 a.m., with Ministers of State, Members of Parliament and the Diplomatic Corps scheduled to arrive at 8:05 a.m.
The Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), the Ministers of Education, Defence and the Interior, as well as the Chairman of the Council of State, will arrive between 8:15 a.m. and 8:20 a.m.
That will be followed by the arrival of the Chief Justice and the Speaker of Parliament at 8:25 a.m., to be followed by the Vice-President and his wife at 8:27 a.m.
President Kufuor and the First Lady, Theresa, will arrive at 8:30 a.m. and they will be heralded by the National Anthem, the National Pledge, traditional, Muslim and Christian prayers.
Soon after that, President Kufuor, accompanied by the Ministers of Education, the Interior and Defence, the IGP and the CDS will inspect the parade and light the perpetual flame.
This will be followed by the trooping of bands, a march past of contingents, a cultural pageant by schoolchildren and drum appellation.
The President will then deliver the Independence Anniversary Address and present awards to Service Chiefs and Regimental Sergeant Majors.
Parades involving the security agencies and schoolchildren are expected to be held in all the regional and district capitals to commemorate the anniversary.
Tuesday, March 4, 2008
Our foreign policy hinges on 3 goals
Page 25: March 5, 2006.
Article: Albert K. Salia
A country's foreign policy is a set of goals that seeks to outline how that particular country will interact on an official basis with other countries of the world and, to a lesser extent, non-state actors. In pursing such an agenda — including economic, political, social, military — there is the need to evaluate and monitor them in attempts to maximise the benefits of multilateral international co-operation.
Foreign policies generally are designed to help protect a country's national interests, national security, ideological goals, and economic prosperity. This can occur as a result of peaceful co-operation with other nations, or through aggression, war, and exploitation.
It may be assumed that foreign policy is as ancient as the human society itself. The twentieth century saw a rapid rise in the importance of foreign policy, with virtually every nation in the world now being able to interact with one another in some diplomatic form.
Usually, creating a foreign policy is the job of the head of government and the foreign minister (or equivalent). In some countries the legislature also has considerable oversight.
It is important to indicate that some critics of Ghana’s foreign policy have described it as “follow the crowd type” or a country without no foreign policy at all. That, they explain, is because Ghana’s foreign policy has no coherent and distinctive doctrinal orientation and niche.
They argue that the distinctive markers of such a foreign policy are, first, government officials are reactionary rather than proactive; second, official stated foreign policy goals are usually vague and the foreign minister frequently flip-flops; and third, the Executive rather than well-trained professionals becomes the implementer of the policy.
It has been argued that since Nkrumah/Busia administration Ghana’s foreign policy has been marked by the above tendencies. Many Ghanaians were unhappy at the frequent trekking of the President during his first term. Foreign policy experts will tell that you frequent trips of Presidents are typical of states without any well-established foreign policy niche.
Unlike states with established niche whose leaders travel primarily to seal deals already worked out or to engage in diplomatic niceties, leaders of countries without well established stance do the diplomacy themselves.
In such states, foreign policy orientation is based on the whims of who ever is in power. The President’s views on international affairs constitute the foreign policy stance of the country.
Ghana’s Foreign Policy
Ghana's foreign policy since independence has been characterised by a commitment to the principles and ideals of Nonalignment and Pan-Africanism as first enunciated by Dr Kwame Nkrumah in the early 1960s.
For Nkrumah, non-alignment meant complete independence from the policies and alliances of both the East and West and support for a worldwide union of so-called non-aligned nations as a counter to both the East and West power blocs. Pan-Africanism, by contrast, was a specifically African policy that envisioned the liberation of African peoples from Western colonialism and the eventual economic and political unity of the African continent.
The PNDC, like most of its predecessors, made serious and consistent attempts at the practical application of these ideals and principles, and its successor, the NDC government, followed in the PNDC's footsteps. Under the NDC, Ghana remained committed to the principle of non-alignment in world politics. Ghana is also opposed to interference in the internal affairs of both small and large countries. This is a departure from Nkrumah's foreign policy approach; Nkrumah was frequently accused of subverting African regimes, such as Togo and Cote d'Ivoire, which he considered ideologically conservative.
The NDC government, like the PNDC before it, believed in the principle of self-determination, including the right to political independence and the right of people to pursue their economic and social development free from external interference.
Another feature of NDC rule carried over from the PNDC era was faithfulness to what a leading scholar of Africa has called "one of the most successful neo-classical economic reform efforts supported by the IMF and the World Bank".
The broad objectives of Ghana's foreign policy thus included maintaining friendly relations and co-operation with all countries that desire such co-operation, irrespective of ideological considerations, on the basis of mutual respect and non-interference in each other's internal affairs. Africa and its liberation and unity are naturally the cornerstones of Ghana's foreign policy. Ghana being a founder member of the African Union (AU), formerly the Organisation of African Unity (OAU), the NDC government’s policy was to adhere faithfully to the AU Charter.
Another important principle of Ghana's foreign policy involves the closest possible co-operation with neighbouring countries with which the people of Ghana share cultural and economic history, and blood ties. The results have included various bilateral trade and economic agreements and permanent joint commissions involving Ghana and its immediate neighbours, sometimes in the face of latent ideological and political differences and mutual suspicion, as well as numerous reciprocal state visits by high-ranking officials. These measures have contributed significantly to sub-regional co-operation and development, and the reduction of tension.
As an example of Ghana's interest in regional co-operation, the country enthusiastically endorsed the formation of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) in 1975. This organisation was created specifically to foster inter-regional economic and political co-operation. It has served as a useful vehicle for contacts with neighbouring West African governments and for channelling increased Ghanaian exports to regional markets. Since 1990 ECOWAS has been engaged in a peacekeeping mission in Liberia to which Ghana has contributed a large contingent of troops. Ghana has participated in other international peacekeeping efforts as well, sending soldiers to operations of the United Nations (UN) in Cambodia in 1992-93 and Rwanda in 1993-94.
In August 1994, Rawlings became ECOWAS chairman, a post that had eluded him since the PNDC came to power. He immediately undertook several initiatives to reduce tensions and conflicts in West Africa. Notable among them was the Akosombo Accord of September 12, designed to end civil war in Liberia.
President J. A. Kufuor has not strayed far from Ghana's good-neighbour policy in the sub-region. In the 1990s, Rawlings sent Ghanaian troops and civilian police to join United Nations (UN) peacekeeping forces in Liberia, Sierra Leone and around the continent under the auspices of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).
This policy has continued under Kufuor. Ghana continues to advocate closer economic ties with neighbouring states, and is a proponent of a West African monetary zone. Relations with Togo, despite the negative connotations that befriending a dictator has, are close.
If there is continuity in foreign policy, there also is departure. Kufuor travelled extensively in his first two years to show the world a Ghana without Rawlings. Not only did Kufuor's former foreign minister, Hackman Owusu-Agyeman, speak out against Zimbabwe's president Robert Mugabe's handling of that country's land policy and its treatment of white farmers, Ghana was among the first African states to agree to submit to the New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD) African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM). The APRM obliges African heads of state to submit to policy review by their peers thereby providing donors with evidence of African commitment to raising standards of governance.
From all these, one can conclude that Ghana’s foreign relations has been structured around three major goals: Attracting development assistance and investment capital, maintaining friendly ties with neighbours, and playing an active and constructive role in international and regional fora by engaging in peacekeeping and election monitoring missions. These goals reflect pragmatism dictated by poor economic conditions and the need to compete globally for development assistance.
In the early 1980s, for instance, Ghana agreed to embark on IMF/World Bank sponsored programme of economic and political liberalisation in order to attract development aid and foreign investment. It has also maintained good relations with Nigeria (from whom Ghana receives crude oil at concessionary prices) and Cote d’Ivoire (which provides electrical energy supplements when needed) irrespective of the type of leadership governing those states.
Ghana is cognisant of its weak capacity for unilateral action in the international arena and hence augments its power by developing close ties (usually at the presidential level) with more powerful states.
Ghana’s limited capacity for unilateral action also has led it to pursue many foreign policy activities through multilateral channels such as the United Nations, the African Union (AU), and the Economic Community for West African States (ECOWAS). Membership in these organisations provide Ghana with a platform for protecting some of its interests, as well as to establish itself as a leader on several issues of concern to the African continent. For example, through the UN and ECOWAS, Ghana has been able to engage in numerous peacekeeping missions, which earns it international respect as a partner for global stability and a moral leader in African affairs.
But Ghana’s involvement in international peacekeeping functions is sometimes also driven more by a desire to raise funds for its military than peace and security concerns. Such pragmatism allows Ghana to influence events in neighbouring African countries sometimes to an extent that belies her small size and resources.
Ghana’s other foreign relations “assets” include its status as a “role model” and the prominent role several Ghanaian nationals play in global affairs. Ghana’s “role model” status arises out of the country’s position as the first African state south of the Sahara to gain independence from colonial rule and the dynamic leadership of its first president, Kwame Nkrumah, in the Pan-Africanist movement.
The decision to implement World Bank-sponsored economic reform programmes two decades ago and recent democratic reforms have also reinforced the “role model” image and somewhat established Ghana as a leader of the movement for political change and rejuvenation of the African continent.
The change in government from the National Democratic Congress (NDC) to the then opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) and former President Jerry Rawlings’s decision to peacefully leave office after his constitutionally prescribed term limit, for instance, were seen as symbolic lessons for other African leaders.
The leadership positions occupied by Ghanaian nationals in various multilateral institutions also enhance the country’s profile in the comity of nations. Mr Kofi Annan and Dr K. Y. Amoako are immediate heads of the United Nations and the Economic Commission for Africa respectively while Dr Mohammed Ibn Chambers heads ECOWAS. The country takes credit for the works of these and other nationals in the field of international diplomacy and the nation often supports their work by launching mediation sessions to bring peace to war-torn countries such as Liberia, Sierra Leone, and the Cote d’Ivoire and also by hosting conferences that enhance the prospects for democracy and development in Africa.
Ghana’s record of support for democracy internationally in the past decade has been good especially under the Kufuor administration. Despite its limited resources, Ghana has been an active participant in democracy promotion abroad.
It has mediated disputes in other countries, the most recent was the Kofi Annan brokered deal in Kenya; provided technical assistance and participated in election monitoring and peacekeeping. Ghanaian leaders have participated in international fora and been vocal in publicly condemning actions that subvert the democratic process.
President Kufuor in particular, has been a strong advocate for democracy, frequently stressing the importance of the rule of law and respect for human rights. In a keynote address at the AU summit in Zambia this year he stated that, “The African Union must reflect the commitment of its member states to democracy, the rule of law and the protection and promotion of human rights ...” We also believe that unconstitutional means of changing governments on the continent is an anachronism, and should not be tolerated in an era of mutual respect amongst us as states, governments and peoples.
Ghana under Kufuor has also been at the forefront of the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD) and a strong advocate for the peer review mechanism that emphasises good governance as criteria for membership.
Clearly, the mark of Ghana’s foreign policy has been that when strategic interests are at stake, Ghana’s leaders have chosen co-operation and friendship over criticism.
Article: Albert K. Salia
A country's foreign policy is a set of goals that seeks to outline how that particular country will interact on an official basis with other countries of the world and, to a lesser extent, non-state actors. In pursing such an agenda — including economic, political, social, military — there is the need to evaluate and monitor them in attempts to maximise the benefits of multilateral international co-operation.
Foreign policies generally are designed to help protect a country's national interests, national security, ideological goals, and economic prosperity. This can occur as a result of peaceful co-operation with other nations, or through aggression, war, and exploitation.
It may be assumed that foreign policy is as ancient as the human society itself. The twentieth century saw a rapid rise in the importance of foreign policy, with virtually every nation in the world now being able to interact with one another in some diplomatic form.
Usually, creating a foreign policy is the job of the head of government and the foreign minister (or equivalent). In some countries the legislature also has considerable oversight.
It is important to indicate that some critics of Ghana’s foreign policy have described it as “follow the crowd type” or a country without no foreign policy at all. That, they explain, is because Ghana’s foreign policy has no coherent and distinctive doctrinal orientation and niche.
They argue that the distinctive markers of such a foreign policy are, first, government officials are reactionary rather than proactive; second, official stated foreign policy goals are usually vague and the foreign minister frequently flip-flops; and third, the Executive rather than well-trained professionals becomes the implementer of the policy.
It has been argued that since Nkrumah/Busia administration Ghana’s foreign policy has been marked by the above tendencies. Many Ghanaians were unhappy at the frequent trekking of the President during his first term. Foreign policy experts will tell that you frequent trips of Presidents are typical of states without any well-established foreign policy niche.
Unlike states with established niche whose leaders travel primarily to seal deals already worked out or to engage in diplomatic niceties, leaders of countries without well established stance do the diplomacy themselves.
In such states, foreign policy orientation is based on the whims of who ever is in power. The President’s views on international affairs constitute the foreign policy stance of the country.
Ghana’s Foreign Policy
Ghana's foreign policy since independence has been characterised by a commitment to the principles and ideals of Nonalignment and Pan-Africanism as first enunciated by Dr Kwame Nkrumah in the early 1960s.
For Nkrumah, non-alignment meant complete independence from the policies and alliances of both the East and West and support for a worldwide union of so-called non-aligned nations as a counter to both the East and West power blocs. Pan-Africanism, by contrast, was a specifically African policy that envisioned the liberation of African peoples from Western colonialism and the eventual economic and political unity of the African continent.
The PNDC, like most of its predecessors, made serious and consistent attempts at the practical application of these ideals and principles, and its successor, the NDC government, followed in the PNDC's footsteps. Under the NDC, Ghana remained committed to the principle of non-alignment in world politics. Ghana is also opposed to interference in the internal affairs of both small and large countries. This is a departure from Nkrumah's foreign policy approach; Nkrumah was frequently accused of subverting African regimes, such as Togo and Cote d'Ivoire, which he considered ideologically conservative.
The NDC government, like the PNDC before it, believed in the principle of self-determination, including the right to political independence and the right of people to pursue their economic and social development free from external interference.
Another feature of NDC rule carried over from the PNDC era was faithfulness to what a leading scholar of Africa has called "one of the most successful neo-classical economic reform efforts supported by the IMF and the World Bank".
The broad objectives of Ghana's foreign policy thus included maintaining friendly relations and co-operation with all countries that desire such co-operation, irrespective of ideological considerations, on the basis of mutual respect and non-interference in each other's internal affairs. Africa and its liberation and unity are naturally the cornerstones of Ghana's foreign policy. Ghana being a founder member of the African Union (AU), formerly the Organisation of African Unity (OAU), the NDC government’s policy was to adhere faithfully to the AU Charter.
Another important principle of Ghana's foreign policy involves the closest possible co-operation with neighbouring countries with which the people of Ghana share cultural and economic history, and blood ties. The results have included various bilateral trade and economic agreements and permanent joint commissions involving Ghana and its immediate neighbours, sometimes in the face of latent ideological and political differences and mutual suspicion, as well as numerous reciprocal state visits by high-ranking officials. These measures have contributed significantly to sub-regional co-operation and development, and the reduction of tension.
As an example of Ghana's interest in regional co-operation, the country enthusiastically endorsed the formation of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) in 1975. This organisation was created specifically to foster inter-regional economic and political co-operation. It has served as a useful vehicle for contacts with neighbouring West African governments and for channelling increased Ghanaian exports to regional markets. Since 1990 ECOWAS has been engaged in a peacekeeping mission in Liberia to which Ghana has contributed a large contingent of troops. Ghana has participated in other international peacekeeping efforts as well, sending soldiers to operations of the United Nations (UN) in Cambodia in 1992-93 and Rwanda in 1993-94.
In August 1994, Rawlings became ECOWAS chairman, a post that had eluded him since the PNDC came to power. He immediately undertook several initiatives to reduce tensions and conflicts in West Africa. Notable among them was the Akosombo Accord of September 12, designed to end civil war in Liberia.
President J. A. Kufuor has not strayed far from Ghana's good-neighbour policy in the sub-region. In the 1990s, Rawlings sent Ghanaian troops and civilian police to join United Nations (UN) peacekeeping forces in Liberia, Sierra Leone and around the continent under the auspices of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).
This policy has continued under Kufuor. Ghana continues to advocate closer economic ties with neighbouring states, and is a proponent of a West African monetary zone. Relations with Togo, despite the negative connotations that befriending a dictator has, are close.
If there is continuity in foreign policy, there also is departure. Kufuor travelled extensively in his first two years to show the world a Ghana without Rawlings. Not only did Kufuor's former foreign minister, Hackman Owusu-Agyeman, speak out against Zimbabwe's president Robert Mugabe's handling of that country's land policy and its treatment of white farmers, Ghana was among the first African states to agree to submit to the New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD) African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM). The APRM obliges African heads of state to submit to policy review by their peers thereby providing donors with evidence of African commitment to raising standards of governance.
From all these, one can conclude that Ghana’s foreign relations has been structured around three major goals: Attracting development assistance and investment capital, maintaining friendly ties with neighbours, and playing an active and constructive role in international and regional fora by engaging in peacekeeping and election monitoring missions. These goals reflect pragmatism dictated by poor economic conditions and the need to compete globally for development assistance.
In the early 1980s, for instance, Ghana agreed to embark on IMF/World Bank sponsored programme of economic and political liberalisation in order to attract development aid and foreign investment. It has also maintained good relations with Nigeria (from whom Ghana receives crude oil at concessionary prices) and Cote d’Ivoire (which provides electrical energy supplements when needed) irrespective of the type of leadership governing those states.
Ghana is cognisant of its weak capacity for unilateral action in the international arena and hence augments its power by developing close ties (usually at the presidential level) with more powerful states.
Ghana’s limited capacity for unilateral action also has led it to pursue many foreign policy activities through multilateral channels such as the United Nations, the African Union (AU), and the Economic Community for West African States (ECOWAS). Membership in these organisations provide Ghana with a platform for protecting some of its interests, as well as to establish itself as a leader on several issues of concern to the African continent. For example, through the UN and ECOWAS, Ghana has been able to engage in numerous peacekeeping missions, which earns it international respect as a partner for global stability and a moral leader in African affairs.
But Ghana’s involvement in international peacekeeping functions is sometimes also driven more by a desire to raise funds for its military than peace and security concerns. Such pragmatism allows Ghana to influence events in neighbouring African countries sometimes to an extent that belies her small size and resources.
Ghana’s other foreign relations “assets” include its status as a “role model” and the prominent role several Ghanaian nationals play in global affairs. Ghana’s “role model” status arises out of the country’s position as the first African state south of the Sahara to gain independence from colonial rule and the dynamic leadership of its first president, Kwame Nkrumah, in the Pan-Africanist movement.
The decision to implement World Bank-sponsored economic reform programmes two decades ago and recent democratic reforms have also reinforced the “role model” image and somewhat established Ghana as a leader of the movement for political change and rejuvenation of the African continent.
The change in government from the National Democratic Congress (NDC) to the then opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) and former President Jerry Rawlings’s decision to peacefully leave office after his constitutionally prescribed term limit, for instance, were seen as symbolic lessons for other African leaders.
The leadership positions occupied by Ghanaian nationals in various multilateral institutions also enhance the country’s profile in the comity of nations. Mr Kofi Annan and Dr K. Y. Amoako are immediate heads of the United Nations and the Economic Commission for Africa respectively while Dr Mohammed Ibn Chambers heads ECOWAS. The country takes credit for the works of these and other nationals in the field of international diplomacy and the nation often supports their work by launching mediation sessions to bring peace to war-torn countries such as Liberia, Sierra Leone, and the Cote d’Ivoire and also by hosting conferences that enhance the prospects for democracy and development in Africa.
Ghana’s record of support for democracy internationally in the past decade has been good especially under the Kufuor administration. Despite its limited resources, Ghana has been an active participant in democracy promotion abroad.
It has mediated disputes in other countries, the most recent was the Kofi Annan brokered deal in Kenya; provided technical assistance and participated in election monitoring and peacekeeping. Ghanaian leaders have participated in international fora and been vocal in publicly condemning actions that subvert the democratic process.
President Kufuor in particular, has been a strong advocate for democracy, frequently stressing the importance of the rule of law and respect for human rights. In a keynote address at the AU summit in Zambia this year he stated that, “The African Union must reflect the commitment of its member states to democracy, the rule of law and the protection and promotion of human rights ...” We also believe that unconstitutional means of changing governments on the continent is an anachronism, and should not be tolerated in an era of mutual respect amongst us as states, governments and peoples.
Ghana under Kufuor has also been at the forefront of the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD) and a strong advocate for the peer review mechanism that emphasises good governance as criteria for membership.
Clearly, the mark of Ghana’s foreign policy has been that when strategic interests are at stake, Ghana’s leaders have chosen co-operation and friendship over criticism.
Give drug barons more punishment
Page 20: March 5, 2006.
Story: Albert K. Salia
THE International Narcotics Control Board (INCB) has called on governments to apply the law proportionately when prosecuting drug offenders.
That, it said, was necessary in order not to undermine efforts to effectively implement the conventions that those laws sought to enforce.
It said some countries still spent disproportionate effort in targeting low level offenders and drug users “as compared to the more pressing issues of identifying, dismantling and punishing those who control or organise major drug trafficking activities”.
These were contained in the 2007 INCB Report launched in Accra yesterday.
While highlighting the need to provide alternatives to imprisonment for drug users, including access to treatment, rehabilitation and reintegration programmes, “the board urges governments to pay adequate attention to high-profile cases of drug abuse”.
It said “celebrity ‘endorsement’ of drug-related lifestyles is particularly relevant when it comes to the issue of deterring drug use among youth, who are often most vulnerable to the cult of celebrity and its attendant glamour”.
It explained that young people were quick to pick up on and react to perceived leniency in dealing with such offenders, particularly celebrities.
A member of the INCB, Dr J. B. Asare, who gave highlights of the report, noted that 50 per cent of remand prisoners in Ghana were drug-related offenders.
He said a proportionate response required equality before the law so that powerful drug trafficking organisations and individuals would not be allowed to escape justice.
He said care must be taken in order that justice and prison systems were not overloaded with low-level offender cases.
“Justice and health care systems must work together and drug-related crime committed by drug abusers must be addressed in an integrated and individualised way,” he added.
Dr Asare, a former Chief Psychiatrist of Ghana, urged the government to consider establishing and using treatment courts as an option to addressing crimes committed by drug-use offenders.
He said a major issue of concern in the report to Africa was the increasing abuse of cocaine in Africa.
He said there was also a growing number of cases involving smuggling of drugs through the Internet, and postal and courier services.
“The board calls on governments to accord adequate importance to the detection and investigation of such cases and undertake all necessary measures to ensure that legislative and regulatory provisions are in force in their territories to counteract such illegal transactions,” he added.
The UN Resident Co-ordinator, Dr Dauda Toure, in a speech read on his behalf, noted that the fight against drug and narcotic trafficking could not be won without the support of the citizenry.
A Deputy Minister of the Interior, Mr K. T. Hammond, who launched the report, noted that the increasing abuse of drugs had serious implications for health delivery systems and drug-induced organised crimes.
He pledged the commitment of the government to meeting the challenges imposed on the country by the emerging drug menace.
He said it was as a result of this that it amended the Criminal Procedure Amendment Act (Act 714) to ensure that no bail was given to drug-related suspects until the cases had been determined by the courts, and the passage of the Anti-money Laundering Act, Act 749, to prohibit the illegal transfer of monies which aid illicit drug-related activities, human trafficking and other criminal activities, among others.
Mr Hammond described the report as a critical tool for policy makers, law enforcement agencies and other stakeholders involved in the fight against drug abuse and trafficking and their associated criminal activities.
Story: Albert K. Salia
THE International Narcotics Control Board (INCB) has called on governments to apply the law proportionately when prosecuting drug offenders.
That, it said, was necessary in order not to undermine efforts to effectively implement the conventions that those laws sought to enforce.
It said some countries still spent disproportionate effort in targeting low level offenders and drug users “as compared to the more pressing issues of identifying, dismantling and punishing those who control or organise major drug trafficking activities”.
These were contained in the 2007 INCB Report launched in Accra yesterday.
While highlighting the need to provide alternatives to imprisonment for drug users, including access to treatment, rehabilitation and reintegration programmes, “the board urges governments to pay adequate attention to high-profile cases of drug abuse”.
It said “celebrity ‘endorsement’ of drug-related lifestyles is particularly relevant when it comes to the issue of deterring drug use among youth, who are often most vulnerable to the cult of celebrity and its attendant glamour”.
It explained that young people were quick to pick up on and react to perceived leniency in dealing with such offenders, particularly celebrities.
A member of the INCB, Dr J. B. Asare, who gave highlights of the report, noted that 50 per cent of remand prisoners in Ghana were drug-related offenders.
He said a proportionate response required equality before the law so that powerful drug trafficking organisations and individuals would not be allowed to escape justice.
He said care must be taken in order that justice and prison systems were not overloaded with low-level offender cases.
“Justice and health care systems must work together and drug-related crime committed by drug abusers must be addressed in an integrated and individualised way,” he added.
Dr Asare, a former Chief Psychiatrist of Ghana, urged the government to consider establishing and using treatment courts as an option to addressing crimes committed by drug-use offenders.
He said a major issue of concern in the report to Africa was the increasing abuse of cocaine in Africa.
He said there was also a growing number of cases involving smuggling of drugs through the Internet, and postal and courier services.
“The board calls on governments to accord adequate importance to the detection and investigation of such cases and undertake all necessary measures to ensure that legislative and regulatory provisions are in force in their territories to counteract such illegal transactions,” he added.
The UN Resident Co-ordinator, Dr Dauda Toure, in a speech read on his behalf, noted that the fight against drug and narcotic trafficking could not be won without the support of the citizenry.
A Deputy Minister of the Interior, Mr K. T. Hammond, who launched the report, noted that the increasing abuse of drugs had serious implications for health delivery systems and drug-induced organised crimes.
He pledged the commitment of the government to meeting the challenges imposed on the country by the emerging drug menace.
He said it was as a result of this that it amended the Criminal Procedure Amendment Act (Act 714) to ensure that no bail was given to drug-related suspects until the cases had been determined by the courts, and the passage of the Anti-money Laundering Act, Act 749, to prohibit the illegal transfer of monies which aid illicit drug-related activities, human trafficking and other criminal activities, among others.
Mr Hammond described the report as a critical tool for policy makers, law enforcement agencies and other stakeholders involved in the fight against drug abuse and trafficking and their associated criminal activities.
Monday, March 3, 2008
K'Bu poorer by GH¢1.2 million-Thanks to runaway patients
Front Page: March 4, 2008.
Story: Albert K. Salia
ABOUT 1,518 patients absconded from the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital between 2003 and 2007 without paying their bills, which totalled GH¢1.2 million.
Most of the patients had been referred from other hospitals to the various departments of Korle-Bu especially Allied Surgery, while some of them were patients who claimed they were poor.
The acting Chief Executive of the hospital, Dr Ben Annan, who announced this yesterday, therefore, appealed to Ghanaians to register with the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) so that they would not be required to make out-of-pocket payment at the hospital.
He was speaking at the 2007 Performance Review of the hospital in Accra. The annual performance review is organised every year for the various departments and units of the hospital to take stock of the previous year’s activities, achievements, challenges and ways to address those challenges to help improve patient care.
Dr Annan said the number of NHIS card-bearing members who sought medicare at the hospital was growing, explaining
that while the hospital received a total of 15,030 NHIS patients in 2006, representing five per cent of total attendance, it recorded 64,000 patients, representing 20 per cent of total attendance in 2007.
Dr Annan said besides the problem of absconders, the issue of accommodation remained a thorny one for the hospital.
He said there was also the issue of dwindling resources from the central government, which was impacting negatively on the activities of the hospital.
He said about 400 senior members of staff of the hospital were currently on the waiting list for accommodation at the hospital, resulting in some of them having to stay in Tema, Adenta and Nsawam.
“Equally, it is a struggle for them to get home after a hard day’s work/call. There have been quite a number of near misses on the road and the Motorway,” he lamented.
Dr Annan expressed the hope that most of the SSNIT flats at the hospital would be allocated to the staff to ease the pressure on them.
Story: Albert K. Salia
ABOUT 1,518 patients absconded from the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital between 2003 and 2007 without paying their bills, which totalled GH¢1.2 million.
Most of the patients had been referred from other hospitals to the various departments of Korle-Bu especially Allied Surgery, while some of them were patients who claimed they were poor.
The acting Chief Executive of the hospital, Dr Ben Annan, who announced this yesterday, therefore, appealed to Ghanaians to register with the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) so that they would not be required to make out-of-pocket payment at the hospital.
He was speaking at the 2007 Performance Review of the hospital in Accra. The annual performance review is organised every year for the various departments and units of the hospital to take stock of the previous year’s activities, achievements, challenges and ways to address those challenges to help improve patient care.
Dr Annan said the number of NHIS card-bearing members who sought medicare at the hospital was growing, explaining
that while the hospital received a total of 15,030 NHIS patients in 2006, representing five per cent of total attendance, it recorded 64,000 patients, representing 20 per cent of total attendance in 2007.
Dr Annan said besides the problem of absconders, the issue of accommodation remained a thorny one for the hospital.
He said there was also the issue of dwindling resources from the central government, which was impacting negatively on the activities of the hospital.
He said about 400 senior members of staff of the hospital were currently on the waiting list for accommodation at the hospital, resulting in some of them having to stay in Tema, Adenta and Nsawam.
“Equally, it is a struggle for them to get home after a hard day’s work/call. There have been quite a number of near misses on the road and the Motorway,” he lamented.
Dr Annan expressed the hope that most of the SSNIT flats at the hospital would be allocated to the staff to ease the pressure on them.
Establish linkages to benefit from the oil industry — Jourdan
Page 19: March 1, 2008.
Story: Albert K. Salia
A CONSULTANT to the African Development Bank (AfDB), Dr Paul Jourdan, has stressed the need for the government and industry to establish the right linkages so as to make the country benefit more from the oil industry.
He explained that such a linkage should see to the facilitation of the parallel development of the non-oil sectors which would result in a more balanced and sustainable growth trajectory.
Dr Jourdan was speaking at a forum organised by the Association of Ghana Industries (AGI) in Accra yesterday to see how the local content of the oil discovery could be exploited to benefit local industries.
He said the problem of Ghana and for that matter Africa had been the very limited successes in establishing local resource linkages in the various productive sectors.
Using the gold mining industry as an example of failure, Dr Jourdan said since independence, Ghana had had a gold mining industry but was struggling to establish upstream and down-stream linkages in terms of inputs, refining and fabrication.
He said the mining industry was dominated by foreign firms who were reaping the benefits more than the communities and the country in which they operated.
He said if care was not taken, such a case would happen in the oil and gas industry.
Dr Jourdan said there was, therefore, the need for a new mindset to enable Ghana and Africa to succeed.
According to him, there were lots of economic opportunities which the government should facilitate for the local industries to take advantage of.
Some of these, he indicated, were the availability of local resources, which could be used instead of importing everything, local skilled labour and access to competitively priced feedstocks such as steel.
Dr Jourdan said the government could establish a cluster of businesses which the oil companies would deal with in the supply of services.
He said it was important that some of the businesses entered into alliances so as to strengthen their capacities and capabilities to benefit from the oil boom.
He said the government should also facilitate the transfer of skills to Ghanaians, since most of the specialised skills needed would have to be imported.
The Managing Director of Caribbean Energy Specialists (CES), Mr Anthony Paul, said although there were lots of business opportunities to be exploited, so were there barriers which needed to be overcome.
According to him, lack of finance, technology and skilled labour were some of the barriers which local companies needed to overcome to take advantage of the oil industry.
The President of the AGI, Mr Tony Oteng-Gyasi, said little time was allocated for discussion on the local content of the oil industry at the just-ended forum on Oil and Gas.
He said it was to avoid the situation where foreign companies took over the oil sector where all the revenue was repatriated leaving the locals poor that the AGI organised the forum.
Story: Albert K. Salia
A CONSULTANT to the African Development Bank (AfDB), Dr Paul Jourdan, has stressed the need for the government and industry to establish the right linkages so as to make the country benefit more from the oil industry.
He explained that such a linkage should see to the facilitation of the parallel development of the non-oil sectors which would result in a more balanced and sustainable growth trajectory.
Dr Jourdan was speaking at a forum organised by the Association of Ghana Industries (AGI) in Accra yesterday to see how the local content of the oil discovery could be exploited to benefit local industries.
He said the problem of Ghana and for that matter Africa had been the very limited successes in establishing local resource linkages in the various productive sectors.
Using the gold mining industry as an example of failure, Dr Jourdan said since independence, Ghana had had a gold mining industry but was struggling to establish upstream and down-stream linkages in terms of inputs, refining and fabrication.
He said the mining industry was dominated by foreign firms who were reaping the benefits more than the communities and the country in which they operated.
He said if care was not taken, such a case would happen in the oil and gas industry.
Dr Jourdan said there was, therefore, the need for a new mindset to enable Ghana and Africa to succeed.
According to him, there were lots of economic opportunities which the government should facilitate for the local industries to take advantage of.
Some of these, he indicated, were the availability of local resources, which could be used instead of importing everything, local skilled labour and access to competitively priced feedstocks such as steel.
Dr Jourdan said the government could establish a cluster of businesses which the oil companies would deal with in the supply of services.
He said it was important that some of the businesses entered into alliances so as to strengthen their capacities and capabilities to benefit from the oil boom.
He said the government should also facilitate the transfer of skills to Ghanaians, since most of the specialised skills needed would have to be imported.
The Managing Director of Caribbean Energy Specialists (CES), Mr Anthony Paul, said although there were lots of business opportunities to be exploited, so were there barriers which needed to be overcome.
According to him, lack of finance, technology and skilled labour were some of the barriers which local companies needed to overcome to take advantage of the oil industry.
The President of the AGI, Mr Tony Oteng-Gyasi, said little time was allocated for discussion on the local content of the oil industry at the just-ended forum on Oil and Gas.
He said it was to avoid the situation where foreign companies took over the oil sector where all the revenue was repatriated leaving the locals poor that the AGI organised the forum.
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