Ghana Broadcasting Corporation

Reports have it that the killings in Nairobi at the West-gate Shopping Mall is a revenge for the situation in Somalia. Late Professor Awoonor at that time he was shot was minding his business there, giving directions on knowledge as he has been doing here in Ghana. He had earlier made major contributions in Literature and general learning, setting people in nation building through his lectures and instructions. As a former student in the then Secondary School,  I recall my first contact with the illustrious Prof.  What I learnt those days were very illuminating and instructive.  I suspect Prof was a Christian or traditionalist but that did not bother us, after all Prophet  Mohammed instructs us to seek knowledge even if it is in China. Here it was in our local school, coming from our own. And then  Prof. goes to Nairobi for similar cause-impacting knowledge and he is killed as part of the collateral damage.  Yes, the Koran allows us to revenge justifiable w...

After the ruling of the Supreme Court and its recommendations for electoral reforms, many important personalities and organizations have added their voice to the need for such reforms. The Electoral Commission on its part has extended invitation to the political parties to bring forth proposals in connection with this noble national assignment. This is in recognition that political parties are major stakeholders in elections. As a matter of fact, the acceptability or otherwise of election results, in actual sense, rest with the political parties. It is instructive to note that electoral reforms have been a continuous process since 1992. As a matter of fact, the EC has been embarking on electoral reforms after every election or major electoral activity. The commission embarks on post-election evaluation or debriefing with the sole purpose of improving its performance in future. ...

The impact of the election petition has been overwhelming for every Ghanaian. The anxiety of not knowing, dealing with contemptuous statements and the expectation of verdict generally contributed to the overwhelmingly challenging experience for the ordinary Ghanaian. In the midst of all these concerns Ghanaians again demonstrated their willingness to subject themselves to due political process. As the so called zero approached, many were those who thought the hard earned peace in Ghana would be whittled away by some magic wand. Here again, it was very refreshing to note that Ghanaians held their own and went about their daily chores with poise and grace. That is why Ghana with all her shortcomings continues to be the oasis in the dessert among the comity of nations. The people of Ghana have shown their love for their country. The children and women of Ghana are particularly grateful for the demons...

Government`s decision to remove allowances to Teacher trainees is a step in the right direction and perhaps long overdue. For years now teacher trainees have been given training allowances to see them through their course and perhaps to motivate and attract prospective school leavers to the teaching profession. With the passage of the College Of Education bill, the training colleges attained tertiary status and since it would be practically unwise to pay allowances to tertiary students’ government decided to scrap the allowances. Teacher trainees are now given the option of applying to the Students Loan Scheme for instant loans to finance their education. Invariably monies saved from the withdrawn allowances could be diverted to expanding facilities in the Colleges of Education. With their new status, the Colleges of Education might require improved infrastructure and expanded facilities such as ICT l...

The theme chosen for this year’s celebration of world ozone day, "a healthy atmosphere, the future we want", is most appropriate given current pollution of the atmosphere by chemical substances which are threats to the ozone layer. The Creator of the Universe in his infinite wisdom in creating earth placed a protective layer known as the ozone between earth and the sun to protect the earth from the ultra-violet rays sent down by the Sun. The Sun's rays are thus absorbed by the Ozone in the stratosphere and this does not reach the earth. Unfortunately through human activity vis-a-vis the use of harmful chemicals and industry, we keep destroying the ozone and the dangers in doing that are catastrophic. When the ozone is depleted, the sun rays are focused on humans, there is climate change and the air quality is polluted. Ozone depleting substances like Chlorofluorocarbon and Methyl Bromid...

The Ghana Police Service, according to its boss is one of the best in the world. No doubt the Police has chalked-up successes in their bid to maintain law and order in the country. In fact, the professionalism and tacit approach by the Police in handling dicey and volatile situations have come up for mention at different fora. For instance, the preparedness and alertness exhibited by the Police in the just gone-by election petition has trumped-up their image in the eyes of the public. Sad to say however, recent developments in policing seem to be eroding the achievements of the Service. Several shooting incidents in Accra and parts of the country involving personnel of the Service have portrayed the police as a trigger-happy bunch of people who exploit their fire power to unleash fear and terror on criminals and innocent citizens alike. Recently, government had to cough-up a whooping fo...

A decade ago, following series of pilots in selected districts, the National Health Insurance Act, 2003 (Act 650) was passed by Parliament into law. The scheme has since grown to become a major instrument of financing healthcare delivery in Ghana. Currently, it engages more than 3,200 providers of healthcare services to nearly 9 million active NHIS subscribers. These subscribers have access to a benefit package covering about 95 percent of disease conditions in the country. The scheme currently provides premium-free healthcare for seventy percent of its total registered membership underscoring its social protection credentials. It is clear that the scheme is today credited with improvements in the healthcare of many people. In the relatively short period of its implementation, NHIS has gained international recognition culminating in the UN Award for excellence and leadership in Novembe...

It is often said in Ghana that it is wiser to yield to demands to sell one's mother for power because after attaining the power, one can comfortably get back his or her mother. This demonstrates the might of power in our part of the world. It is therefore not surprising that in Ghana, what has become known as ‘the winner takes all’ politics is pervasive. A political party is either in or out. It therefore came as no surprise to many when at a lecture in 2012 on the topic ‘Democratic Governance in Ghana: 'How Political Polarization may be abated’ a retired Supreme Court Judge, Justice V.C.R.A.C. Crabbe remarked that after winning election, ‘only party faithful become citizens of the country whiles others become foreign nationals’. With absolute control over all the national resources, coupled with the power to go ones way regardless of what others say, and the hypocrisy by support...

The association or perceived linkage of the Judiciary in Ghana with active partisan politics, a trend which is fast emerging in Ghana's democracy if not checked, can eventually spell its doom. Currently dominating discussion on our airwaves is a statement attributed to lead counsel for the NDC in the December, 2012 election petition, Tsatsu Tsikata. Mr. Tsikata is alleged to have attacked the integrity of one of the nine justices of the Supreme Court who sat on the case, Mr. Justice Anin-Yeboah. Mr. Tsikata claimed Justice Anin-Yeboah throughout the hearing of the election petition allowed his allegiance to the era that appointed him to the Supreme Court to cloud his judgement. Before the start of the hearings, the NPP for unexplained reasons expressed no confidence in Mr. Justice William Atuguba as Presiding Judge asking him to recuse himself owing to his relation with the Presidents Executive Secretary, Dr. Raymond Atuguba. They later withdrew their petition. Also another judge ...

The confirmation by the Supreme Court that President Mahama was validly elected in the December 2012 general election validates a popular television advert, 'the tradition goes on'. It confirms the notion that no Presidential election petition in Africa has succeeded in reversing the status quo. That perhaps explains the request to the nine justices by lead counsel for the petitioners Philip Addison to do what no court in Africa has done before by confirming Nana Akufo Addo the winner of the Presidential election. Just recently, the constitutional court in Zimbabwe threw out the legal challenge of that country's Presidential election which saw the 89 year old Robert Mugabe being re-elected for a seventh term in office. We can also cite election disputes in Nigeria, Zambia, Uganda and Kenya which were all jettisoned for various reasons. In each of these cases, the constitutional courts in th...

If knowledge is indeed power, then, let’s look no further for a form of power. For we have it! Ghana is gifted with immense resources and this, we need not be in doubt of but have the courage of faith and the confidence of self to tap into our pool of rich and abounding indigenous knowledge and resources! Thankfully as a nation, our cultural values have evolved and evolve around collectiveness and community rather than diversity. This blessed gift of inter-connectivity of the average Ghanaian brings great relief of tremendous hope and aspiration. Indeed the global village in which we inhabit is not a new community after all. We have always lived there in a shared communal life! The culture of inter-marriage, co-education, metropolitan activities and inter-connections attest to this. Yes, we are deeply united as tribesmen and women and also religious, yet one...