Ghana Broadcasting Corporation

The past few days have seen the media landscape dominated by discussions on the deportation of the three former -Police Offices from South Africa who were arrested while providing military training to youth in the Central region. The Lawyers have occupied all the space in the discourse. Some argue that the three South Africans should have been prosecuted. Others described the country's Judicial System as a failure since the three were not tried here. There is little discussion so far about holding accountable those who brought the three South Africans to the country in the first place. The inherent threat or potential threat of the activities of these former Police Officers to the peaceful co-existence of Ghanaians seem to have been relegated to the background with focus on the legal merits. The public is being led to believe that a judicial process should have determined the issue. One is tempted to ask, is the legal system not about protecting the fundamental rights of Ghanaians ...

There is no doubt that Ghana has made significant progress in the provision of water to both urban and rural communities. Available data shows that the country has attained more than 80 percent coverage in ensuring access to safe water, and therefore met the water targets of the now ended Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), on reducing by half the proportion of people who lacked access to safe water by 2015. In spite of this laudable attainment, a significant proportion of the population still depends on unsafe water sources. On almost daily basis, there are reports in the media about how residents in some communities have to make do with water from filthy murky ponds, while in other places, people have to share the water source with cattle and other animals. The periodic outbreaks of cholera and diarrhea, which are all water related, attest to the endemic water problem in those parts of the country. Perhaps, it is on this basis that some people, including seasoned journalist...

President Mahama has taken yet another giant step towards fulfilling one of his 2012 campaign promises when he officially launched the conversion of Polytechnics to Technical Universities policy. Over the years, graduates from Polytechnics have complained about how they are discriminated against at the job market. In many instances, they play second fiddle to their counterparts from the universities. There were also issues of academic progression. In fact, the highest qualification from a polytechnic is the Higher National Diploma while universities run courses up-to Doctor of Philosophy degrees. Polytechnic graduates would have to go back to university, and in many instances, start from scratch when they want to pursue higher education. The role of technical education in the development of any nation cannot be under emphasized. In this time and age, technology rules the world. This fact was acknowledged by the President himself, when he noted at the launch of the policy at th...

Every year on April 7, the World Health Organization celebrates World Health Day to draw worldwide attention to a priority global public health concern. Since the institution of the Day in 1948, the WHO has highlighted important global issues ranging from mental health and maternal health to food safety and road safety. This year, the focus is on diabetes. The World Health Organisation is by thus calling on governments, health care providers, advocates and families to scale up prevention, strengthen care and enhance surveillance to curb the global diabetes epidemic. The main goals of the World Health Day 2016 campaign are to increase awareness about the rise in diabetes, and its staggering burden and consequences, in particular in low- and middle-income countries; and to trigger a set of specific, effective and affordable actions to tackle diabetes. The issue of diabetes must be taken seriously because the disease and its complications bring about substantial economic loss to people wi...

The West African Examinations Council is in the cross hairs again, after three subjects in the ongoing West African Secondary School Certificate Examinations were leaked to students mainly in the Greater Accra and Eastern Regions. Social media has been swashed with pictures of students with answers written on their thighs to be transported into the examination hall. WAEC has been dogged by such incidents of leaked questions year after year, and seem incapable of stemming the tide. Last year, five Basic Education Certificate Examination subjects had to be cancelled due to a similar incident. It is most disheartening for students to prepare assiduously for three years only to be confronted with incidences of examination leakage. Last year, when the BECE papers leaked, there was hue and cry and the BNI was called in to investigate. According to reports, 13 people were initially picked up and the Head of the Ghana Office of WAEC, Rev. Samuel Nii Nmai Ollennu was also interrog...

The prophecy by popular Nigerian Prophet, T. B Joshua, Founder and Leader of the Synagogue Church Of All Nations, about a possible terrorist attack on Ghana and Nigeria has reinforced the need for the security agencies and individuals to be more vigilante. Prophet T.B. Joshua on Sunday encouraged his church members to pray for Ghana and Nigeria as he foresees imminent foreign attacks on the two countries. Ever since this prophecy came out, there has been mixed reaction from the Ghanaian public. Some have questioned the credibility of the prophecy, and wondered why Prophet T.B. Joshua was not able to foresee some disasters which befell his church both in Ghana and Nigeria. The issue is so contentious that even pastors and christian bodies appear divided over it. But regardless of any criticism, it is an acknowledged fact that Ghana faces a real threat of terror. This is in view of series of deadly terrorist attacks on neighboring Cote d’Ivoire, Burkina Faso ...

The controversy over the voters register appears unending. The opposition NPP and Pressure Group, the Let My Vote Count Alliance, have been on the heels of the Electoral Commission to compile a completely new register towards the November elections. That suggestion has been dismissed by the Commission, but the focus has shifted to what is now known as validation. The development is worrying especially looking at the entrenched positions taken by the various parties. This is contributing to an increasing tension in the country and may be a foundation to dispute the election depending on the outcome. Ghana has so far succeeded in organizing peaceful elections since the inception of the 4th republican constitution in 1992. Though, the last election was disputed, it was peacefully resolved at the Supreme Court. It is not surprising therefore that Ghana is regarded as a beacon of democracy and a torch bearer on the continent. There should not be any room for complacency, and c...

Almost on a daily basis, the country is confronted with disasters resulting from fire outbreaks. Within the last couple of weeks, there have been nasty incidents in various parts of the country, whereby facilities such as school dormitories, residential and business centers have been reduced to ashes. Fire, is a very useful tool in people's daily lives, but can be a deadly weapon. Call it a faithful servant but a dangerous master. From every indication, there is the urgent need to handle fire with extreme care. Taking fire for granted has almost always led to loss of lives and property, pain and sorrow. During fire outbreaks, people are rendered homeless, even if for a period, and there are fatal outcomes, most of the time. People are exposed to various dangers in their undertakings, either at home, the workplace, or enclosed places of leisure. The high rate of catastrophe due to fire, underscores people's vulnerability and poses safety and security challenges in an era...

In 1998, Ghanaians witnessed dramatic development in the country's local government process. The period saw local government elections held through Universal Adult Suffrage under the PNDC government. Decentralization was given a further boost when it was incorporated into the 1992 Constitution with the whole of Chapter 20 dedicated to it. To consolidate the gains made in the decentralization process, an Inter-Ministerial Coordinating Committee has been set up under the auspices of President John Dramani Mahama. The Committee's Executive Director is Dr, Callistus Mahama, who is Head of Local Government Service. Dr. Mahama has the mandate to ensure synergy among the partners in the Administrative, Political and Fiscal decentralization process. There is no doubt that elsewhere, decentralization has accelerated the development of communities. Ghana therefore, need not re-invent the wheel when it comes to Decentralization. Decentral...

The ultimate goal of every establishment, be it public or private, service or manufacturing, profit or non-profit making, local or multinational, is to survive. To become a trans-generational organization and not suffer extinction at some point is that sole goal which has pre-eminence over other organizational goals. Some organizations, however, per their core mandate, size and monopoly, automatically become industry leaders and so have the luxury of time to focus on other strategies as the goal of survival is a guaranteed one. The question therefore is, what should industry strugglers  do, to make them leap from a goal of survival to realistic position of industry leaders within the shortest possible time? This situation is not very different from major football leagues around the world. Those who emerge as champions, runners up and occupy other juicy positions on the league table are the big and the mighty clubs. These clubs have huge budgets, attractive sponsorshi...

As an elected President with the mandate of the people, John Mahama and for that matter anyone occupying that office is under obligation to account to the people primarily through parliament. The 1992 constitution requires the President to deliver a message on the state of the nation to Parliament regularly. It will be a further deepening of political accountability if a President genuinely decides to directly account to the people through tours and visits to the hinterlands. There is no denying the fact however that such accounting to the people tours amount to indirect political campaign tours. Given the use of state vehicles, security and other apparatus that move with the president, one may not be too wrong in arguing that there is abuse of incumbency. It is true that a president who is seeking re-election still remains a president throughout the period and must be accorded all the courtesy and privileges that go with his office, including state security protection and logistics, i...