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Showing posts from May, 2013

Professionalism In Procurement

There is no doubt that procurement plays a critical role in business. However, procurement is often a neglected part of business. Perhaps because we all purchase for our homes and so take for granted procurement for the value creation process. Procuring for value creation requires strict accountability to the business owner; be it private or government. In the past manufacturers grappled with their costs amid all the inefficiencies, added a margin and were still able to sell.  However, technological advancement, fierce competitive and demanding customer taste have placed limitation on the price the market can take; implying pricing strategies have changed from cost-led pricing to price-led costing.  Businesses are therefore forced to take this price ceiling and work on their cost for an appreciable margin in order to survive; failing which businesses risk extinction through natural selection. The topic for the Pan African Conference- ‘the strategic role of professional procur

Press Freedom Issues

For the past 20years the UN General Assembly has adopted May 3rd every year to celebrate World Press Freedom Day, with the goal to draw attention to the fundamental principles of press freedom across the globe. It is also a time to remind governments of the need to respect their commitment to press freedom. Above all, World Press Freedom Day serves as a time for sober reflection among media professionals about issues of press freedom and professional ethics. As Ghanaian Journalists joined their colleagues to celebrate the day, quite a number of issues came up for discussion. Among them are remunerations for Journalists, treatment meted out to Journalists at public functions, ethical issues and media legislation. For the lay person and most professionals it is safe to say that Journalists are free to publish or broadcast without hindrance. Yes, clearly censorshi

The Kumbungu By-Election

The victory of the CPP in the Kumbungu Constituency by-election is significant in the sense that this is the first time the party has won a by-election in the country since the return to democracy in 1992. The achievement gives the party which hitherto had no representation in the legislature, a voice in the law-making body. The NDC which relinquished the seat paving the way for the by-election will this time be counting its loss since it has dominated the constituency all along. The NDC must learn vital lessons from its defeat in the poll given reports that its preparation towards the election was generally lack luster. The top Executive were engrossed in the ongoing Supreme Court hearing of the 2012 election petition. In the by-election, the CPP Candidate, 61 year old development worker, Amadu Moses Yahaya polled 13,039 as against 11,896 obtained by the NDC c

Indiscipline In Second Cycle Institutions

The media has in recent times been inundated with issues of indiscipline among students in second cycle institutions. The one which presumably is still fresh in the minds of most parents are those of students of Northern School of Business (NOBISCO) and Kumasi Girls’ High. They were alleged to have disobeyed school rules. Perhaps, a form of indiscipline in our second cycle schools is the issue of homosexuality which has caused great concern among the clergy in particular and the citizenry at large. About 12 girls were recently de-boardenised in Wesley Girls High School in Kumasi for their alleged involvement in acts of lesbianism. While these disciplinary actions have been endorsed and hailed by many people, a section of the public has also condemned these actions describing them as harsh and misplaced. There are a number of times when we he