Ghana Broadcasting Corporation

Agriculture is said to be the main foundation on which the socio-economic development of the country hinges. It provides food for Ghanaians and also offers job opportunities for majority both at the formal and informal sectors of the economy. The sector engages both academics and non-academics in its management to ensure that the nation is secured in food production for domestic use and for export. Regrettably, the country over the years in spite of the favourable agriculture environment continues to suffer and register unappreciable growth to the nation’s Gross Domestic Product, GDP. One is quick to refer to General Kuntu Acheampong’s popular Operation Feed Yourself that saw the nation triumph in food production, producing enough to feed the population and for export. It is worrying that the same cannot be said now with improved technology. Agriculture, about 40 years ago, despite the constraint on land acquisition, lack of technology, unfavourable weather pattern, high interest rate ...

Development interventions have been part of nation building since time immemorial. Governments have over the years committed significant resources to a wide range of development interventions designed to improve the well-being of the citizenry. It is important to mention that a Government’s development intervention programme can be said to be successful if it is progressive in relation to its development targets to ultimately benefit the people. Some development policy analysts have said that the major challenge that has historically faced the development of this country is not the ability to formulate good and credible development interventions but rather the capacity to monitor their implementation to ensure optimum utilization of the Nation’s resources for fruitful results. The New Patriotic Party won the mandate of Ghanaians to govern on the back of some interventions outlined in their manifestos. Since last week some Ministers of State designate have gone through the vetting proce...

Year in, year out, Ghana faces cholera outbreak which claims innocent lives. According to reliable statistics, in 2014 a severe cholera attack killed 250 people and infected as many as 25,000 people between January and December. Figures from the Ghana Health Service indicate that the situation was severe in the Capital city of Accra which recorded more than 18,000 cases and 114 deaths. The causes of cholera and these preventable deaths can be attributed to poor sanitation or insanitary condition in our communities. This year, it is predicted that there would be early but heavy rains. Rain is a blessing particularly to our farmers. But again the same rain may be a curse to those of us living in low lying areas, with choked gutters. The situation is worsened with the reckless waste disposal practices among others. Governments over the years rolled out various sanitation policies starting from the first President Osagyefo Dr Kwame Nkrumah up to the immediate past President John Mahama’s r...

Health is wealth. This is one statement that is often repeated when there is the need to stress why it is important to maintain the highest standard of well-being. For some people, this statement is often taken for granted not by openly saying health is not important but due to the action taken in relation to what should be done to maintain perfect health status. It will be recalled that in the latter part of the last millennium, there was a slogan – HEALTH FOR ALL BY THE YEAR 2000. Unfortunately, the year 2000 came too soon and that goal was not realised. It must be stated that the mere fact that that declaration was made showed the need to radically move from the status quo. To a large extent, it gave the global community some sense of urgency to improve the deteriorating health status of the population of many developing countries. Ghana had had what was called the Danfa project to address this concern. Essentially, the medical model of health has informed many decisions in the heal...

Recent happenings in The Gambia are intriguing. Blotted by the 1994 coup by the beleaguered President Yahya Jammeh, the country had enjoyed relative peace. It is not clear whether the tranquil in the Gambia was as result of authoritarian rule but it had been very impressive until the recent political stalemate. The Gambia is threatened to go the way of some countries where similar situations had sparked civil wars and social disorganization. The world, including the diehard cynics, applauded President Yahya Jammeh for his swift response, initially conceding defeat to Adama Barrow in the last December Presidential election. As all waited with baited breathe to see a smooth transition, President Jammeh made a U-turn and refused to abide by the election results, alleging fraud. Following the sharp twist in events, the Gambia has been in the spotlight for all the wrong reasons. Issues like Jammeh being the only surviving coup-maker still in power, his tainted human-rights record and his id...

A new dawn has broken. The celebrations are over. It is time for real business. And President Akufo-Addo is off the blocks with the naming of his Cabinet to govern the country for the next four years. As the new administration seeks to fulfill its mandate to Ghanaians, the media must also stand in readiness to fulfill their watchdog mandate to the citizenry. So, this is the time to get the cameras rolling, microphones set, and printers in motion to monitor the government every step of the way. The 1992 Constitution of Ghana, specifically Article 162(5), mandates the mass media to uphold the responsibility and accountability of the government to the people of Ghana. This is an absolute constitutional mandate the media must never abdicate. As a former Chief Justice, F. K. Apaloo, said in a Keynote Address at the Annual New Year School in 1999, there is, indeed, no modern institution that is more potent in keeping the government in check and exposing its wrongdoing and other acts of misgo...

It said that those who do not learn from history are bound to repeat the mistakes of the past. The December 2016 election has come and gone, with the successful inauguration of Nana Akufo-Addo as the Fifth President of the Fourth Republic. While this success story has received the commendation of the international community, the activities of some people going round seizing State facilities and even brutalising political opponent is denting Ghana's enviable democratic credentials. In spite of the fact that this lawlessness by party activists occurred in the past and was condemned, its recurrence anytime there is a change in political power democratically requires collective national effort to nip it in the bud. Allowing people to assume they have the power to storm State-owned institutions like the Tema Port and the Passport Office suggest lawlessness to the highest degree. The danger in this phenomenon is the apparent helplessness of the Police Service who are mandated to ensure l...

The Ministerial nominations made so far are aimed at ensuring an effective governance system for the country. In all, the President has put forward 36 nominations for vetting by Parliament. The nominations were made in line with the vision of the President to take immediate steps to facilitate rapid socio-economic development of the country in the short to medium term. It is the desire of the President to build an optimistic, self-confident and prosperous nation with a strong and thriving democratic society in which mutual trust and economic opportunities exist for all, irrespective of their background. To be able to achieve this, there is the need to ensure effective implementation of policies geared towards speedy growth in all sectors of the economy. In this connection, the focus must be on agriculture, energy, manufacturing, health, education and eradication of poor conditions and hunger across the country. There is also the need to encourage value-added exports to strengthen econo...

On the 7th of January this year, Ghana saw the birth of a new government. The country again demonstrated to the rest of the world another democratic feat, with the swearing in of the fifth President of the Fourth Republic. The new government led by President Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has nominated people for almost all key ministerial positions. The swift manner in which the names of the nominees were released signifies President Akufo-Addo's preparedness to take over the reins of governance of the country. This perhaps is unprecedented in the annals of the governance history of Ghana where within two days after swearing-in, the new President has come out with names of nominees to handle various ministries, to form the government. Some of the names were even announced before he was sworn in as President. Taking into consideration the herculean task ahead of him and the limited time of four years he has to make an impact and perhaps qualify for reelection in 2020, President Akufo-Addo ...

The President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo at a news briefing on Tuesday and Wednesday officially announced some ministerial nominees for approval by Parliament approval committee.The professional background and expertise of the nominees undoubtedly seem to make them suitable for their respective portfolios, having excelled in similar endeavours as politicians, business persons, entrepreneurs, public and civil servants. Comments following the announcement have been varied, but generally, it appears the appointments are in the right direction. Managing a nation requires such experienced people more especially in the face of economic challenges characterised by unemployment, high interest rate, budget deficit, high cost of living, and huge foreign and domestic debt. These challenges, coupled with the promises made by the New Patriotic Party (NPP) during the campaign place a heavy burden on the President and his appointees. The nominees when given the nod by Parliament are expected to hel...

The President has no official residence to lay his head? Another Administration is now history and was it really that the transition was smooth? One issue that rears its ugly head during a transition since returning to constitutional rule in 1993 has to do with the controversies surrounding emoluments of key government officials, especially, the President. Article 71 of the 1992 Constitution stipulates that some special arrangements should be made for public office holders when they exit office after their service to the nation but in effect, some of the provisions are so vague that, any time there is a transition, the issue is engulfed in controversies. It is important to make sound judgement and discretion in such situations in order to save the nation from unnecessary problems and hardships. In Ghana people make less than GHS300 a month, yet the state still has an obligation to give politicians “ex-gratia” and to former Presidents, accommodation and cars. This definitely drains the ...

On 7th January 2017, Ghana chalked up another milestone in its democratic credentials with a colourful ceremony to inaugurate a new President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo. The function was attended by Ghanaians from all walks of life with heavy presence of party faithful. The occasion was also graced by 16 Presidents and other foreign dignitaries. What has become symbolic of such national events is the display of the country's rich culture where citizens dress in different designs of Kente and smock. The January 7 inauguration was no exception with the new President himself appearing in a magnificent kente. The inner perimeter was for very important dignitaries, while the stands were occupied by party supporters, most of them in the NPP colours of Red, White and Blue. It should be the case that at such auspicious events, the only colours to be displayed should be the national ones. It is not feasible to get all citizens to be at the venue for every national event. This is where the...

The beautiful inaugural Presidential address delivered by Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, on Saturday, January 7, did not only appeal to Ghanaians but to all people the world over. Many significant issues were raised to show that as a people, Ghanaians need to work together and take the country's destiny into their own hands. This explains why great emphasis was placed on the active involvement of everyone towards nation building and national development. Ghanaians are expected not to see themselves as mere subjects or spectators, but as noble people who are proud of their citizenship and ready to work hard towards the attainment of the national goal. It is only within the context of this realization towards national aspirations that people in this country can boldly exercise their responsibilities towards nation building. The promise by the President to protect the public purse is quite significant. The protection of the public purse will come in form of rigid institution of measures...

A new tranquil democratic era beckons after the emphatic victory of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) in the December 7 elections. In Parliament House January 5, President John Dramani Mahama set reinforced the tone of that era with his last state of the nation address which lasted 31 minutes - the shortest in modern memory. Although the duration was cute, its impact is huge. President Mahama put patriotic duty beyond personal rivalry and portrayed utmost respect for the in-coming President, Nana Addo Danquah Akufo- Addo. President Mahama spoke glowingly of his relations with Nana and traced their common history of entering Parliament the same year in 1997, serving as MPs for three terms and leaving together in 2009. Most importantly, President Mahama wished Nana well. The outgoing President was also measured in touting his achievements, a clear departure from the chronic tendency of heads of state to deliver homilies on the litany of their accomplishments and espouse lofty development pla...

Once again the President of the Republic, John Dramani Mahama, has delivered the annual State of the Nation Address at a colourful ceremony in Parliament. 2017’s ceremony the final one by President Mahama, shall go down in history as a significant one for many reasons. It comes at the end of one of the smoothest transitions in recent times, where after one round of voting, the winner of the polls was determined to pave the way for change in government. This necessitated a longer transition period. It is believed that handing over of notes from the outgoing National Democratic Congress to the incoming New Patriotic Party went on successfully. In another vein, President Mahama made some important statements on continuity in change of government that should catch the attention of many an observer of the political happenings in Ghana for some years now. President Mahama urged his successor, Nana Addo Dankwah Akufo-Addo to endeavour to continue with all uncompleted projects initiated by his...