Ghana Broadcasting Corporation

NEWS COMMENTARY ON INTRA PARTY VIOLENCE AND LESSONS FOR ELECTION 2016 The ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) scored high political marks over the weekend with its expanded and digitized presidential and parliamentary primaries.  The earth-shattering shock inflicted on some sitting MPs by young aspiring ones are normal in such high profile contests. What is abnormal was the acts of violence which were few in number but huge in magnitude.  These relate to the snatching of ballot boxes and the slapping of party supporters out of anger and confusion in the affected voting centers.  The opposition New Patriotic Party, NPP on the other hand wears a conflicting tag which refuses to drop with each passing day. What started as a punitive response to Paul Afoko’s alleged travesty of party discipline has snowballed into an endless violence and a ruinous legal battle. In a flat contradiction to NPP’s motto, its headquarters which is supposed to be a citadel of freedom i...

NEWS COMMENTARY DEMOCRACY VERSES DEVELOPMENT IN THE CONTEXT OF THE AFRICA REPORT DEBATES. ''Power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely'', simply, drawing from the opinions of British Moralist and Historian, Lord Acton, African governments are inclined to subscribe to democracy as a tool for development. However, some are asking whether Democracy is getting in the way of development, giving the bureaucratic bottlenecks and the structured way of getting things done. The Africa Report in association with Mo Ibrahim Foundation launched the first in the series of Debates in Accra to provide the platform for African leaders to talk tough on development. President Mahama had the honour to set the tone for the debate.  In his speech, he alluded to the man behind Singapore's success, Lee Kwan Yew. Lee is described as the man who transformed a mosquito-ridden colonial post, Singapore, into a prosperous financial center, dubbed today's global power hou...

NEWS COMMENTARY ON INTERNATIONAL DAY FOR THE UNIVERSAL ACCESS TO INFORMATION TO BE CELEBRATED ANNUALLY ON SEPTEMBER 28 A 13 year- campaign by global civil society groups for a day to be dedicated to Universal Access to Information has paid off. The Executive Board of UNESCO on October 19, this year, adopted a resolution recommending that September 28 be recognized as Access to Information Day.  And so on November 17, this year, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization’s (UNESCO) General Conference voted to designate September 28 as “International Day for the Universal Access to Information.” For global civil society and like-minded organisations, it was welcome news and precisely so, for the significant benefits of the day. The International Day for the Universal Access to Information does not only seek to raise awareness about the importance of the right of access to information but also provide a framework for the enjoyment of the right of access to ...

1st December which is World AIDS Day, affords the global Community, the opportunity to take stock on the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) and Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) pandemic. The Ghana AIDS Commission is the national coordinating body on HIV and AIDS, responsible for educating the public on how to prevent HIV and reduce stigma against People Living HIVs.  The Ghana AIDS Commission also deserves applause for the transparency involved in choosing its Implementation Partners (IPs). The Partners are often selected through a Tender Bid, scrutinized by independent evaluators and have their capacities strengthened in Technical, Financial and Participatory Monitoring and Evaluation. It is significant to note that the Commission this time around, does not hesitate to sanction none performing Implementation Partners and those who misappropriate funds for HIV programmes. In some instances, these erring Implementation Partners (IPs) are made to cough out the funds emb...

NEWS COMMENTARY ON THE NEWLY CONSTITUTED NATIONAL MEDIA COMMISSION The newly constituted 18-member National Media Commission has been sworn into office with veteran journalist, and member of the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA), Kwasi Gyan Apenteng, being elected as the new chairman. Since its inception in 1993 by a constitutional instrument of the 1992 Constitution, the National Media Commission has tried to fulfill its key mandate of promoting and ensuring the freedom and independence of the media for mass communication and information.  The National Media Commission has for the past 23 years, contributed to making the media landscape in Ghana as fluid and autonomous as possible, though with much trial and effort.  It is also a fact that the Commission has led the media to help nurture, build and restore democracy in Ghana to the envy and admiration of many.  As a state institution that has the herculean task of playing both the watchdog and regulatory roles, i...

NEWS COMMENTARY ON THE PRESENCE OF UNWHOLESOME PRODUCTS ON THE MARKET Around this time, markets in the country usually become saturated with a variety of goods, many of which are found to be sub-standard or unwholesome. Many business people take advantage of the season, to flood the market with a wide range of products. Availability of increased variety of products on the market is good since it gives consumers the opportunity to select from a pool of different categories of consumables. The problem, however, is that many of the goods on the market tend to be unwholesome. Consumers are deceived to buy things that they otherwise would not be willing to buy. We are in the last month to the end of the year, and many people will go shopping for their end-of-year activities.  It is important to look out for the manufacture and expiry dates on the products. Expiry dates help consumers to determine whether or not products are fit for consumption. This will ensure the health and safe...

NEWS COMMENTARY DISCUSSES THE ISSUE ON ILLEGAL LOGGING IN NORTHERN GHANA Barely a year after the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources placed a ban on the illegal harvesting, trade and export of rosewood from Ghana, the loggers are back stripping the northern region bare of its precious trees. After the construction of the Fulfulso-Sawla road and the Bui Hydro dam between 2012 and 2014, when logging became a free for all activity in those parts of the country, the then Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, Alhaji Inusah Fuseini, with support from President John Mahama, placed a ban on this indiscriminate cutting down of trees. One year on, the merchants are gradually making their way back into the woodlands of Northern Ghana. As usual, they are taking their contraband goods past police stops and barriers, sometimes in already sealed containers to the ports for export. Those that travel on land find their way moving to Togo from Zanware, Walewale; also after going past several poli...

NEWS COMMENTARY ON THE RE-NOMINATION AND APPROVAL OF VICE PRESIDENT KWESI BEKOE AMISSAH-ARTHUR AS RUNNING MATE TO PRESIDENT MAHAMA FOR THE 2016 GENERAL ELECTIONS. After months and weeks of speculation and uncertainty President John Dramani Mahama yesterday put the debate effectively to a rest when he renominated his Vice, Kwesi Bekoe Amissah-Arthur to once again partner him for the 2016 General Elections. The last few weeks have seen the sudden sprouting of a number of mushroom pressure groups within the ruling National Democratic Congress, canvassing for the choice of one personality or the other as the running mate to the party's President Candidate. One group by name concerned Youths of the Volta Region demanded the choice of the Speaker of Parliament, Edward Doe Adjaho, over the current Vice President, while another group from the Central Region was also lobbying for the Foreign Affairs Minister, Hanna Tetteh. Other names such as AMA Chief Executive, Alfred Okoe Vanderpuiye a...