Standardize Ex-Gratia Payments

Saturday November 20, 2010
By Edmund Mingle
Professor Stephen Adei, former Rector of the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA) has revived the debate on ex- gratia, calling for a review of Article 71 to standardize the payment of emoluments to senior public officials. Presenting a critique of Article 71 of the Constitution which determines the emoluments paid to the President and top public officials, at a roundtable discussion organized by the Institute of Economic Affairs in Accra, on Wednesday, Prof. Adei identified some shortcomings of the Article which he believes should be changed.Although he did not fault the spirit of Article 71, he said the loopholes have led to its abuse in practice.

Article 71 of the Constitution creates and defines the conditions of service in terms of salaries, emoluments and privileges to top level officials of the three arms of government, allowing Members of Parliament (MPs) to approve those of the President and other members of the executive whilst the President also approves for the MPs.

For instance, he said, while the spirit of Article 71 is to honour top public servants, its implementation has created the impression that that class of public servants must have a special salary and allowances vastly different from the general public service conditions.

Describing the enjoyment of a different condition of service by Article 71 office holders as against other public sector workers as totally wrong, he said that could be corrected by stating clear percentage difference between what should be paid to Article 71 officers and lower level public servants.

That, he said, would ensure that the repeated confusion over the calculation of emoluments and end of service benefits were resolved, since the allowances of the Article 71 office holders would appreciate as the general salary levels in the public sector appreciated.

In most jurisdictions around the globe, he said the conditions of service for top level public officers was directly linked to that of other public sector workers and not the current Ghanaian situation where top officers in the Article 71 category enjoyed astronomically high packages as against what was given other public sector workers.

Prof. Adei, whose paper was on the topic, "Determination of emoluments - a critique of Article 71 of the 1992 Constitution, said Article 71, was not explicit in defining what constituted emoluments."

"This leaves room for wide interpretations," he stressed, indicating that there was a need for a clear definition of emoluments to avoid abuse.

The professor of economics and leadership, also expressed concern over the inclusion of the emoluments of the leadership of the Judiciary under Article 71, saying it has a tendency to affect the independence of the Judiciary.According to him there was a need for the conditions of service of the Chief Justice (CJ) and Justices of the Superior Courts to be separated from Article 71 and placed under Chapter 11 which dealt with provisions of the Judiciary."

In all Common Law countries, the Chief Justice is the highest paid public servant," he noted, adding that the inclusion of the CJ and Justices of the Superior Courts of the Judiciary among the beneficiaries of the Article 71, was not healthy towards promoting the independence of the judiciary, he stressed.

He stated that the inclusion of the CJ and Justices of the Superior Courts as well as Auditor-General and all others outside Parliament and the Executive among the beneficiaries of the Article 71, was like mixing apples with pears because such officers enjoyed tenured terms of office and their appointment was on merit unlike the legislature and the executive who occupied elective positions.

In addition, Prof. Adei recommended that the Article should be specific as to whether all Presidents have to set up a new committee to determine the emoluments of Article 71 officer holders.

Touching on the issue of appointment of the Committee that makes recommendations for the determination of the emoluments for Article 71 office holders, Prof. Adei noted that Article failed to draw the criteria for the appointment of members of the Committee, leaving the President with options to appoint "cronies" as members as was evidenced in the Chinery Hesse Committee.

Also, the approval process of the recommendations by the Committee, he said, was fraught with issues which put too much pressure on the MPs to demonstrate selflessness, integrity, leadership and public spiritedness.

Professor Adei called on the Professor Ewurama Addy Committee constituted to work on the emoluments under Article 71, to take advantage of the ongoing Constitution review in helping to amend the Article to make its implementation more effective and efficient

"The ongoing Constitutional review exercise offers a window of opportunity to address the weaknesses of the Article 71," he stressed.

Women In Politics Inspire New Aspirants

Tuesday November 30, 2010
By Edmund Mingle
A group of women politicians in a meeting
A group of women in leadership positions in the country has inspired female aspirants to higher political offices to assert themselves in order to win the confidence of society.
According to them, a sure way to break gender disparity against women in the Ghanaian society was for women to develop themselves to be in the position to provide development solutions.

The women leaders, including Ministers of State, Members of Parliament and Executive of the various parties agreed on the need for female aspirants to be more assertive, during discussions at a two-day seminar at Atimpoku at the weekend.The seminar, organized by the Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA) had the theme, "Towards increased women s participation and representation in Parliament."
It also brainstormed on the way forward for women empowerment and how to improve the number of females in leadership position.
Mrs. Betty Mould-Iddrisu, Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, contributing to the discussion, said although public office comes with huge challenges for women, it was incumbent on women themselves to overcome those challenges to prove to society that they could equally deliver like their male counterpart.
She gave the assurance that those of them in leadership positions would continue to work hard to deliver so as to justify the confidence society has reposed in them.
That, she said would go a long way to encourage society to give more opportunities to women.

Mrs. Juliana Azumah Mensah, Minister of Women and Children s Affairs, for her part, believed that women have a lot to offer society, adding it would take a lot of effort to address the challenges hindering the progress of the female gender in society.
"I think we women have to prove a little more because more is required of us," she told the seminar.

In addition, the Minister, who is also the Member of Parliament (MP) for Ho East, urged women aspiring to leadership positions to be humble and serve their communities well because society appreciates people who dedicate themselves to the service of the nation.

Mrs. Susan Adu Amankwah, Greater Accra Regional Chairperson of the Convention People s Party, in her remarks, observed that although some gains have been made in the fight for increased numbers of women in the legislature and in governance, more work remained to be done.Frema Osei-Opare, MP for Ayawaso West Wuogon, in her contribution, urged women aspirants for political leadership positions to invest in themselves."

"We need to work hard to win the confidence of the public," she said.She said aside the national efforts to ensure gender parity in governance in favour of women, there was a need for the women themselves to work for positions based on their ability to deliver, rather than relying on the benevolence of their male counterparts.
Citing her political life as an example, she said there was the need for women aspirants to be very active in their parties and communities so their good works would put them up.

Ms. Otiko A. Djaba, National Women's Organizer of the New Patriotic Party, for her part, called for more co-operation and partnership among women irrespective of their political affiliation in order to advance the cause of the female gender.She reminded them of the need to be supportive of each other and fight for space since it would not be handed over to them freely.

President lauds Siemens, Atholl power project

Monday, December 13, 2010

By Edmund Mingle
President John Evans Atta Mills has commended Siemens Energy and Atholl Energy for their active participation in the country’s energy sector, as the group prepares to undertake the second phase of a 180 mega watt power generation plant to augment the nation’s power supply. According to the President, the energy sector was critical to the growth of the economy, and therefore it was important that the private sector played an active role to achieve energy sufficiency to support industry and business operations.

President Mills gave the commendation when the executives of Siemens Industrial Gas Turbines and Atholl Energy called on him at the Castle on Friday to brief him about the expansion plan for the power project.

The first phase of the Tema Thermal II Power Plant, Ghana’s first modular gas turbine power station, producing 50mega watt of electricity from five turbines, has been completed and handed over to the VRA for operation by the group.

As part of the second phase, the Siemens is proposing to expand the capacity and increase production from the current 50MW to 120MW and a further increase to 180MW if preferred by the government.

President Mills endorsed the group’s plan for the expansion, stressing the need for various opportunities to be utilized to enhance power production in the country.

The government, he assured would fully cooperate with the group to ensure that the objectives of investing in the power plant were achieved for the benefit of Ghanaians.

Nick Muntz, Managing Director of Siemens Energy, the world’s second largest manufacturer of gas turbines which are primarily used for electricity generation and in the offshore oil and gas industry, who lead the delegation, thanked the President for the support.
He said the group shared in the government’s development vision and would offer the necessary investment support towards power generation and job creation.

The plant, which was initiated under the emergency power programme as part of measures to enhance power generation to meet the growing power needs of households and businesses in the country, he explained could also run on diesel if gas was not available.
“The plant will operate on gas full time as part of Ghana’s base load electricity generation from January 2011,” he said.

Phase II, he said involved the changing of the plant from a single cycle to combined cycle, with the addition of three gas turbines, through which exhaust heat will be collected and used to drive the steam turbines.

“Operating on combined cycles with gas fuel, the station will be very economic and meet the highest standards f efficiency and low environmental impact,” he stressed.

The group, he said, was committed to providing technical capacity and global solutions to enable the government to achieve the better Ghana agenda for the benefit of Ghanaians.

Thomas Svanikier, Chairman of Atholl Energy, the contractors for the multi-million dollar project, for his part, thanked the government and partners for the cooperation which led to the successful completion of the first phase, “saying this is the best executed power project in Ghana in the last five years.”

In addition, he said the group would continue to contribute to the development of the energy sector through undertaking other projects that would help in achieving the government’s objective of increasing total power generation to 5000 MW by 2012.

Edward Effah, Managing Director of Fidelity Bank, which provided financial backing for the project, assured the government that the bank would lead a syndication to finance the second phase of the project.
END


1. President Mills holding discussions with Nick Muntz (left) during the courtesy call.
2. A section of the power plant in operation at Tema.

Mon

Gbagbo send special message to President Mills

Tuesday December 7, 2010
By Edmund Mingle
President John Evans Atta Mills yesterday urgently called for peace in neighbouring Cote d’Ivoire ahead of an emergency ECOWAS meeting in Abuja, Nigeria today over the political crisis that has hit Cote d’Ivoire.

The President urged the two contenders, incumbent President Laurent Gbagbo and opposition leader, Alhassane Quattara, who have both declared themselves winners of that country’s presidential election and subsequently sworn themselves into office, to allow the rule of law and peace to prevail in the interest of the people of Cote d’Ivoire.

President Mills made the call when a special envoy delivered a special message from incumbent President Gbagbo, to “fully inform President Mills of the developments” in his country.

“We are all interested in what is happening in Cote d’Ivoire and our major concern is for peace to prevail so that the lives of the people are not adversely affected,” he stressed.

President Mills, who will be joining his colleague ECOWAS Heads of State in Abuja to deliberate on the Cote d’Ivoire political impasse that has resulted in the formation of two governments by the two contenders, said peace and security should not be compromised at the detriment of Ivoriens.

The President, who had earlier in the run-up to the second round of elections in that country urged the two presidential contenders to accept the results of the elections, said the situation in Cote d’Ivoire was a disturbing one which should be addressed urgently.

He was optimistic that the outcome of today’s ECOWAS emergency meeting would help the find lasting solution to the impasse in the neighbouring Cote d’Ivoire.

The details of the message from President Gbagbo, was not given to the journalists, but Dr. Sery Bailly, a former Minister of Higher Education, who delivered the message, told journalists later that President Gbagbo wanted to fully inform President Mills of the developments so as to correct any perceptions he may have.

Asked whether it was part of a plan to lobby the government of Ghana, he denied saying President Mills was aware of what was going on in Cote d’Ivoire and could therefore not be misinformed.
“President Gbagbo want to assure President Mills that he is also interest in peace that is based on the rule of law,” he told the Press.
In what is described as a serious political crisis, the Constitutional Council overturned the results of the presidential election and declared Mr. Gbagbo the winner with 51 per cent of the total votes cast. His main challenger, Mr. Quattara, according to the council, secured 49 per cent of the votes.
This contravened the Electoral Commission’s had earlier declaration the opposition leader as winner with 54 per cent of the votes while Mr. Gbagbo obtained 46 per cent.
Mr. Gbagbo was sworn in for a third term in office at the presidential palace last Friday, but within hours, Mr. Quattara, a former Prime Minister from the predominately Muslim north of the country, was sworn in at an Abidjan hotel guarded by UN peacekeepers.
END

Volta Lake Transport Now Safer

Monday May 24, 2010
By Edmund Mingle

Transport on the Volta Lake
Travelling on the Volta Lake has become safer with the increasing presence of life guards who are contributing towards safe lake transportation in the country.

The life guards, provided by Zoil Services Limited, a subsidiary of Zoomlion Ghana Limited, now constantly monitor transportation and other activities on the Volta Lake to ensure that lives and property are protected.Since last year, hundreds of lifeguards have been trained and deployed, and have successfully intervened in accident situations to save lives and goods from drowning.

Samuel Opoku Manu, Managing Director of Zoil Services, who disclosed this to newsmen, said the objective of the Volta Lake Transport Enhancement Project, under which the lifeguards were deployed, was achieving the desired results.

The Volta Lake Transport Enhancement Project was initiated by the company as its contribution to resolve the perennial accidents on the lake, he explained and stated.

"We are committed to ensuring that no life is lost should an accident happen on the lake." Zoil's lifeguards, who are present in the 739 communities along the Volta Lake , apart from rescue operations, also undertake such activities as public awareness creation against over loading and poor boat maintenance.

Mr. Opoku Manu, Managing Director of Zoil Services, briefing newsmen, said the lifeguards had so far successfully conducted a number of rescue operations.

In one of their recent operations, he said 10 life guards in a swift response, saved a driver and his two mates from drowning when their truck loaded with farm produce fell off the Dambai ferry into the lake.
After saving the three men, the lifeguards also retrieved the food items from the lake, he said, adding that their work had earned them the admiration of people in the communities.

To ensure the safety of passengers on boats, Mr Manu said the company had also been donating lifejackets to boat owners for use by available to passengers crossing the lake.In addition, he said the company had provided speed boats and communication gadgets to enable the lifeguards to operate effectively.

President Charges Judiciary To Improve Upon Its Performance

Wednesday June 02, 2010
By Edmund Mingle

President John Evans Atta Mills yesterday charged the Judiciary to re-examine itself and work towards improving its performance.
He assured of non-interference by government in its work but said the Judiciary should work hard to engender public confidence in the judicial system.

An enhanced performance, devoid of perceived biases, is urgently needed to win the total confidence of the general public, he said, explaining that the role of the judiciary in the country's development process could not be taken for granted.

President Mills, gave the admonition when members of the Judicial Council called on him at the Castle, Osu, in Accra.
The Council, led by the Chief Justice, Mrs. Georgina Theodora Wood, was at the Castle to discuss with the President issues described as pertinent.

"I admit that our judicialy system is not perfect, but we have to work at it to ensure that people's confidence in the judiciary will be total and absolute, he said, and expressed worry about the complaints from the public, such as delays in trails.

The President commended the judiciary for its contribution to the country's development in spite of the challenges, and assured the Service of government's full support and co-operation.

"I want to assure you that my government will do whatever it takes to make sure that service conditions in the Judicial Service are improved, he said, pledging government's assistance in the provision of accommodation facilities of judges and officers of the judiciary to improve their work.

The Chief Justice, in her brief remarks before the meeting went behind closed doors, thanked the government for the enormous support being offered to the Judiciary.

She cited the government's financial support for the construction of a new 34-court-room complex in Accra, the release of a parcel of land for the establishment of a Judiciary Training Institute to serve as a centre of excellence in Africa, and the replacement of vehicles for judges, saying it was laudable assistance for which the judiciary would remain grateful.

The council, she, said had instituted measures to ensure an effective management of the Judicial Service, adding that it was determined to deal with issues of financial management and effective supervision of the courts.

Proper supervision of the court, she said, would ensure that cases were not delayed unduly, and loopholes that led to corrupt practices were plugged.

Stakeholders urged to maintian democratic credentials

Thursday March 4, 2010

By Edmund Mingle

President John Evans Atta Mills yesterday encouraged stakeholders in Ghana’s democracy to work hard to maintain the democratic credentials gained, saying other countries are looking up to Ghana

He particularly urged the various political parties to work together in enhancing the country’s democracy for the national good.

“We have a standard to maintain,” he told the chairmen of the political parties and executives of the Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA), at the Castle, Osu in Accra.

They accompanied Roel Von Meijenfeldt, Executive Director of the Netherlands Institute for Multiparty Democracy (NIMD), a political think tank collaborating with the IEA and political parties in Ghana, to pay a courtesy call on the President.

According to President Mills, Ghana is considered as a trail blazer in the field of democracy in Africa, and therefore all must work towards its progress of the benefit of Ghanaians.

“Let us work with one another because this is the only way we can enhance the opportunities and be able to show to the outside world that we are fully committed to the tenets of democracy,” he said

He promised that his administration would continue to provide the necessary support to the strengthening of multi-party democracy in Ghana, and called on all the parties to “let fairness and transparency prevail.”

“There is no alternative to democracy,” he said, and reminded the political parties, none of the parties have the power to decide who should lead the country.

“The power to decide who should lead the country is vested in the people,” he said.

The President lauded the contribution of the IEA and the NIMD to the growth of the country’s democracy, indicating that part of the credit for the improved collaboration between the parties should go to the two institutions.

The collaborative work of the IEA and NIMD resulted in creation of a Ghana Political Parties Programme, a platform on which the Chairmen and General Secretaries of the political parties with representation in Parliament, have been working together to address various issue affecting multi-party democracy in Ghana.

Recognising the critical role the Political Parties Programme, President Mills therefore lauded the collaborative work among the parties, and promised that government would continue to lend its support to the Programme.

Mr. Von Meijentfeldt, in his remarks, commended Ghana for the growth of her democracy and the commitment of the stakeholders to remain united in the face of challenges.

“The level of democracy in Ghana is an inspiration to other countries in Africa,” he noted that the NIMD looked forward to deepening “our partnership in democracy with Ghana.”

Dr. Kwabena Adjei, National Chairman of the ruling NDC who is chairman of Chairmen’s caucus of the Ghana Political Parties Programme, said his group valued the partnership with the NIMD since it continues to provide the opportunity the parties to learn from the experiences of other countries around the world.

Jean Mensa, Executive Director of the IEA, for her part, commended President Mills for recognising the importance of the Presidential Transition Bill, developed out of the Ghana Political Parties Programme, and mentioning it in his State of the Nation Address, saying, “we look forward to celebrating the passage on this bill.”

She also lauded the establishment of the Constitution Review Commission, and pledged the necessary support from the IEA and NIMD towards a successful outcome of its work.

In that regard, she noted that Mr. Von Meijenfeldt has, since his arrival in Ghana, met with members of the Commission and offered to support an exchange visit between the commissioners and experienced experts in Zambia, Kenya and South Africa.

“We have no doubt that these exchanges will enrich the entire Constitution review process and help to ensure a Constitution which is acceptable to all Ghanaians,” she stressed.

Prez insists on value for money

Friday March 5, 2010

From Edmund Mingle & Winston Tamakloe, Mafi-Asiekpe.

President John Evans Atta Mills yesterday charged contractors in the country to give value for money, cautioning strongly that the government will not entertain any shoddy work.

“We want value for money,” he said, adding that the government would not allow any of the tax payers’ money to go waste through shoddy construction works, particularly roads projects.

President Mills gave the caution when he cut the sod for the beginning of construction works on two road networks in the Volta Region and Accra yesterday.

The President, who cut the sod for the upgrading of the Ho-Adidome-Sogakope road at Asiekpe in the North Tongu district of the Volta region, before cutting the sod for the construction of the Spintex-Polo Grounds- Airport link road in Accra, bemoaned the situation where a lot of money goes to waste because of poorly executed construction works.

In addition, President Mills gave assurance that the right structures were put in place to ensure proper monitoring of projects, and assured contractors that the government would play its part providing the necessary cooperation and assistance, as well as the prompt payment of contractors.

Touching on the Ho-Adidome-Sogakope road project, which is to part of efforts to improve the road network and facilitate transportation, President Mills noted that the start of the project, was in fulfillment of one of his administration’s campaign promises made to the people of the area.

He said the government was committed the improving the lot of people in the area by undertaking initiatives that could lead to the significant eradication of poverty, and assured them of his administration’s collaboration for to enhance their welfare.

“We can never turn our back on you,” he told a durbar of chiefs and people of Adaklu Kodzobi and Mafi-Asiekpe here ahead of the sod-cutting.

He said the government was up to the task of developing the country, expressing optimism that the government would perform creditably to be retained in power.

“We are in power to serve the people,” he said.

The road is a vital link connecting major towns like Adaklu Tsrepe-Adaklu, Mafi-Kumasi and Adaklu Abuadi in the North Tongu, Adaklu Anyigbe districts and Ho Municipality.

Under the project, the road is expected to be upgraded to a two-lane single carriage way with double surface dressing.

The project, costing over GHc54million, also involves the replacement of weak and damaged culverts, deepening of drains, as well as the provision of access links to the road.

When completed, the road network, is expected to enhance economic activities particularly in the areas of agriculture and tourism.

“The improvement of this route will also provide a shorter travel distance for motorists commuting between Ho, Sogakope and Accra, as compared to the current route from Ho through Denu,” said Joe Gidisu, Roads and Highways Minister, whos also gave the assurance that the contractors, Messrs Ussuya, Jah Nicaf, PMC and Rollider, would do a good job.

Tobge Dzegbade IV, Chief of Adaklu Kodzobi, in his remarks, thanked the government for making the road network issue a priority, and particularly commended it for continuing road projects started in the area by the previous government.

“We will remain grateful for this support,” he said, and assured the government of their full collaboration for the success of all projects initiated in the area.

Later at the sod-cutting for the Spintex-Polo Grounds-Airport link road, President Mills, stressed the importance of that project, saying it would significantly ease traffic on the Spintex, and Accra-Madina roads.

“This will save motorists and commuters a lot of man-hours,” he said, citing the current situation where vehicles stay on traffic for hours on the Spintex road during rush hours.

The project, he said, formed part of efforts to remove the bottlenecks that hamper effective business activities, such as poor road networks that adversely affect transportation.

“This is an importance landmark in the development of Accra,” he said, adding that he was glad to be associated with it.

The 2.6kilometer road project, costing over Ghc12.7million, involves the re-alignment of the Spintex road around the Accra Mall, passing behind the Shangrila hotel to link the Airport by-pass. It also includes the construction of a rail bridge to separate the railway from the road.

Dr. Alfred Oko Vanderpuije, the Mayor of Accra, in his remarks, said the project was one of many initiatives to improve the road and transportation system in the metropolis.

He announced that the by the end of June, 47 modern traffic lights, with power back-ups would have been installed in various intersections to improve the traffic situation in the metropolis.

Consequently, President Mills commissioned one of such traffic lights in front of the Fire Service Headquarters in Accra yesterday, to mark the beginning of a mass installation of those lights which are fitted with remote monitoring devices and back-up power which enables it to continue functioning during power outage.

ROPAL Again!

Friday February 26, 2010

By Edmund Mingle

The President, John Evans Atta Mills, yesterday revisited the controversial issue of the Representation of the People Amendment Act (ROPAA), saying the amended Act, which was passed under the previous government to allow Ghanaians abroad to vote, will be entirely revised.

In his second State of the Nation Address to Parliament, President Mills said his administration’s objection to the ROPAA, then in opposition, was based on the flawed processes for its introduction, and not on the principle of Diaspora voting.

“Our commitment to providing opportunity for our brothers and sisters abroad to exercise their franchise was never in doubt,” he stated.

To ensure an effective review of the Act, he said the government would this year, constitute a multi-partisan group, under the guidance of the Electoral Commission, to revisit the whole issue of registration and voting of Ghanaians abroad.

“This will involve a review of the Representation of People Law of 1992 in its entirely and not piecemeal amendment of that legislation,” he said.

According to the President, whose address was dubbed “Partners in vision,” said the matter affects the basic power-conferring law of the country, and that it must not be the prerogative of the ruling government to use its majority to have its way.

“All political parties must be involved to enable us reach consensus on a Bill to replace the Representation of the People and its amendments.

“When I am convinced that there is real consensus on its provisions, the Draft Bill will be presented to Parliament,” he said.

President Mills, who called for more inter-party collaboration in pursuit of national reconciliation, said “we cannot impose reconciliation by legislation. Genuine reconciliation must come from our hearts.”

He lauded the collaborative work among the parties on the Ghana Political Parties Programme under the auspices of the Institute of Economic Affairs, which has resulted in the development of the Presidential Transition Bill aimed at effectively managing future political transitions to avoid acrimonious transfer of political power, and urged the parties to continue to work together to achieve the common goal of national progress.

Because of the multi-partisan nature associated with the development of the Bill, he was optimistic that Parliament would have no difficulty in passing it.

Touching on another critical issue of honours given to leaders of the land, he said the National Honours Class of the Order of the Star and Eagles of Ghana awardable only to presidents of Ghana “is discriminatory and inappropriate.”

“I have therefore decided that the National Honours Instrument of 2008, which created that Class, should be repealed.
“A repealing Executive Instrument will be laid before the House in the course of the year to restore the original non-discriminatory Honours Warrant of July 1, 1960 executed by the first President of the Republic, Osagyefo Dr. Kwame Nkrumah,” he said.

He was of the view, however, that those persons who received those honours under the 2008 Instrument, which generated a lot of controversy because of the unclear nature of criteria for the nominations, acquired vested or accrued right to them.
“They will therefore be allowed to keep those honours,” he said.

In helping to facilitate the work of MPs, he said a fund would be created to provide facilities such as offices in the offices for MPs in their various constituencies, to enable them to effectively play their role in the governance system.

He called for responsible citizenship, and hoped that the current atmosphere of unfettered free speech would be enjoyed responsibly.

The government, he said, was open to criticisms, saying “nobody has a monopoly of either vision or wisdom, and we will take honest criticisms in good faith.”

“We will work together to fashion out the appropriate policies that will help our nation face and overcome her many challenges in these times of great uncertainty,” he said.

Touching on the efforts at improving the culture of indiscipline in Ghana, President Mills charged Members of Parliament, Ministers and government officials to lead the crusade against indiscipline.

He said there was a need for them to be time conscious and put up good self-discipline and attitude for emulation by the public, saying for instance that he expected all Ministers and officials to be punctual to functions to which they are invited.

He asked organisers of such functions to draw the attention of the Presidency to the attitude of official who become “notorious later comers,”, and also urged the organisers to adopt proper time management practices by making their events less time consuming.

With regard to the addressing the rampant road accidents, President Mills charged the Police Service to urgently come up with a blue-print for tackling the menace.
END

President Mills declares: So Far, So Much Better

Friday February 26, 2010

By Edmund Mingle

President John Evans Atta Mills yesterday assured Ghanaians that the national economy is improving significantly, saying the current state of the nation is good.

“One year after our election, I am proud to stand before you and say with confidence that “the state of the nation is good,” he said as he delivered his second State of the Nation Address to Parliament yesterday.

Describing the progress of the national economy and the state of affairs under his administration as compared to the period where they took over power as “so far, much better,” President Mills, however indicated that there was still a lot of work to be done in making Ghana a prosperous country.

But he strongly assured Ghanaians that his administration was up to the task of making Ghana a much better place for the citizenry, saying he and his team were “fully committed to our election promises.”

The President recalled promised his administration made in its early days to cool the overheated economy and revive the declining currency, pursue economy stability, a diversified industry-based economy, ensure good governance, transparency and peace, all inclusiveness and rule of law, saying gains have been made in fulfilling these promises.

“We took over a run-down economy characterised by unbridled spending that did not offer value for money. But in the face of mountainous challenges, we can now offer good news and hope to Ghanaians,” he stressed.

“Today, we have a stable currency as well as other indicators pointing to healthy economic conditions for real take-off of into sustained growth,” the President added.

President Mills, in his address, dubbed “Partners in vision,” also outlined various initiatives being pursued by the government in the oil and gas industry, agriculture sector public sector management, private sector growth for increase job creation to fast-track national development.

Touching on the oil and gas sector, President Mills, whose address was greeted with laud cheers and applause from the majority side of the House, said he has instructed the Energy Minister, in collaboration with the Transport Ministry to fast-track investment in the necessary facilities, including the Deep Sea Port with dedicated oil services facility, as well as the rehabilitation of the western railway corridor.

“These flagship investments will not only create employment themselves, but will support the growth of other businesses,” he said, adding that the proper development of the gas sector would help to ensure dependable electricity supply at internationally competitive tariffs.

With the anticipated commercial exploitation of crude oil and gas, he said the government was positioning Ghana for major industrial take-off, mentioning initiatives for the development of an integrated aluminium industry based on bauxite, a petrol chemical industry based on salt and natural gas, and a fertilizer industry to give impetus to agriculture production.

Currently, he said they were putting together the building blocks of an oil and gas-based industrial architecture to ensure that by 2016, “we would have exploited these resources and changed the country’s economic paradigm so that our dependence on traditional raw material exports of cocoa, gold and timber, will be a thing of the past.”

On efforts towards achieving food security, which is a priority to the government, President noted that they were marshalling all the necessary resources to achieve food security so as to halt the country’s over-dependence on imported foods.

“Tomatoes, onions, plantain and other items are native to our climate, and we have the land and the resources to deliver these and more to our people. We can have no excuses if at the end of our tenure we fail in this task,” he said.

Among other things, he said the Buffer Stock Management Agency set up to hold food security buffer stocks and intervene in the market when there was a glut, would this year rehabilitate 12 warehouses of the erstwhile Ghana Food Distribution Corporation, for its operations across the country.

In addition, he said, the fertilizer subsidy programme, aimed at supporting farmers would be extended to all crop farmers, while the Youth in Modern Agriculture Development Programme, was being accelerated to provide more jobs for the youth and increase food production.

With regard to fishing, President Mills noted that the problems that characterised the distribution of the pre-mix fuel have been resolved while pair-trawling by foreign vessels that threatened the livelihood of local fishermen, has been prohibited.

As a solution to the disturbing gap in financing for the agriculture sector, President Mills announced that an Agriculture Development and Investment Fund idea was being worked on as a respond to their manifesto promise of promoting rural financial intermediation and to establish an Agriculture Development Fund.

On job creation, President Mills observed that National Youth Employment, and Youth in Agriculture programmes were only temporal solutions to the problem of large numbers of unemployment youth in the country.

Ultimately, he said the solution lied in skills training and the expansion of the economy, saying that the government was addressing the unemployment issue through a three pronged approach through the expansion of the services, manufacturing and agro-processing sectors to create more jobs.

In addition, he said he has directed that job creation was mainstreamed in the programmes of the Ministries, Departments and Agencies.

Touching on the conditions of service in the public sector, President Mills particularly decline to give further promises to teachers.

“I have said enough about the conditions of service of teachers in the past.
“At the end of this year, I expect the GNAT, NAGRAT and UTAG to make separate pronouncements on whether the lot of teachers has improved under my administration or not,” he said.

On healthcare service delivery, the President, who called for all hands on deck to build the country, said the National Health Insurance Authority has submitted a revised NHIS Bill to Cabinet for consideration.

When passed by Parliament, the Bill is expected to ensure greater accountability and the operations of the health scheme, and also redefine premium payment mechanisms and claim management.

On the critical issue of housing, President Mills bluntly noted that that “spectacle of homeless people and street children in our urban areas is not acceptable and cannot be tolerated.”

In most countries, he said housing for the lower and lower-middle income groups, is the responsibility of local authorities, adding that Ghana should not be an exemption.

He said in addition to efforts of the central government to improve the housing sector this year, “we shall expect our Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies to invest sizeable proportion of their Assemblies Common Fund in rental housing for lower and middle-income groups.”

In pursuit of that objective, he said the Assemblies would be directed to commit substantial portions of the Common Fund allocations to rental housing.

In addition, a national District Assemblies Rental Housing Project Taskforce will be established to oversee the programme of housing.

In the interim, the President said he has directed the Housing Ministry to complete all “affordable” rental housing projects, initiated by the previous government, to help alleviate the acute housing problem facing the country.

In addition, he announced that the government was in the process of signing an agreement with the government of Korea, for the construction of some 200,000 affordable housing units for workers across the country. The batch of 30,000 units, he said, would be allocated to the security services.

Also, he noted that the Engineer Corps of the Ghana Army would be re-equipped to once again play an integral role in the government’s rural infrastructure expansion programme.

Responding to criticisms by the minority side that his government is slow, President Mills noted that he is “slow but sure.”

“In all our undertakings, I will be guided by a principle I have long cherished-to always strive to make a right decision rather that a quick decision,” he told the House.

Mills Registers for National ID Card

March 1, 2010

By Edmund Mingle

President John Evans Atta Mills has registered for the National Identification card, with a call for all to take the exercise very serious.

He said the NI, which is intended to provide unique identification to all Ghanaians, was very crucial in the country’s development process.

“This should solve all kinds of problems related to identification,” he said as he finished the registration process at the Castle Gardens on Friday.

The President, who begun the process at 10:05am, encouraged all those who have not registered to do so.

He commended the National Identification Authority (NIA), managers of the exercise for the progress made so far, and assured the Authority of the necessary support to ensure its success.

Dr. William Ahadzie, Executive Director of the Authority, who briefing the President on the progress of the exercise, said they were currently doing a mopping up exercise in Greater Accra, after the mass registration ended on February 11.

From Greater Accra, he said the exercise would conducted in the Ashanti Region from March 22 to June.

So far, he said the five regions, made up of Central, Western, Eastern, Volta and Greater Accra have been covered by the exercise, which begun in July 2008, but was suspended due to logistical difficulties.

Dr. Ahadzie later told newsmen that the turn out has so far been encouraging.
He said their main challenge was the long queues created at the registration centres, saying many people joined the queues without adequate knowledge about the exercise.

In that regard, he said the Authority was undertaking a conducting public education campaign in the remaining regions to be covered to inform people about the registration dates and the information they would be required to provide at the centres.

Niger junta seeks democratic lessons from Ghana

By Edmund Mingle
Nine days after the military junta took over power in Niger, the leaders of the junta are in Ghana to solicit ideas to help return that country to democratic rule.

“Ghana is a school in terms of democracy in Africa, and we have come to the school for advice,” Colonel Mossi Hasaan, a leading member of the Supreme Council for the Restoration of Democracy, currently controlling power in Niger, told President John Evans Atta Mills at the Castle in Accra yesterday.

Col. Hassan, who led a seven-man delegation from the Council to Accra, to explain developments in that country to President Mills, and to seek support, said the junta was aware of the drawbacks coups create on national progress, but noted that circumstances forced the military to take over power.

“What we are seeking is true democracy,” he said, and expressed optimism that other African countries, particularly Ghana, with her vast experience, would provide the necessary assistance for them to lay an effective foundation for democratic rule.

He promised gave the assurance that none of the members of the junta would be allowed to stand for elections, saying the Supreme Council, which has already appointed a civilian Prime Minister to oversee the transition to democratic rule, was determined to return power to the people.

President Mills, in his response, thanked the delegation for the visit, saying Ghana has been concerned over recent events in Niger.

He recalled that political developments in that country was a subject of discussion at the recent ECOWAS Summit in Abuja, Nigeria, some interventions were agreed on to keep Niger on the track of democracy.

Such issues in Niger, he stressed were of concern to other countries in the sub-region, “since we are brother and sisters.”

“We want the best for our countries,” he said, and reminded the delegation that “power resides in the people.”

The government, he said would be following events in Niger, and would provide the necessary assistance to ensure that there was peace in that country.

The delegation has already been in Nigeria to solicit that country’s assistance.
Thousands of Nigeriens, who accused ousted President Mamadou Tandja of becoming a tyrant, have been celebrating his overthrow on February 18, 2010.
Mr. Tandja, 71, had been growing more authoritarian as the end of his second term in office approached last year.
He changed the constitution to make presidential term limitless, and pushed elections back to 2012.
He also dissolved parliament and tightened his grip on the press in Niger, one of the poorest countries in Africa.

National Prayer, Thanksgiving Week launched

Tuesday February 23, 2010

By Edmund Mingle

The annual National Week of Prayer, Fasting and Thanksgiving, slated for March 7 to 14, 2010, was launched in Accra yesterday with a call on all Ghanaians to participate in the event aimed at seeking God’s guidance and blessing for the nation.
A Prayer Guide, detailing the topics and issues the prayers are required to focus on, was launched.

The national event, which was proposed by President Mills, is being organised by a team of religious leaders of the various church groupings across the country.

By the Guide, Ghanaians are expected to fast and pray daily from March 7 to 13, after which the week would be climaxed with thanksgiving services on March 14.

The national thanksgiving would be held at the Independence Square in Accra while local level events would be held at designated placed in the regional and district capitals.

The Muslim community is also expected to participate with the holding of national prayers in mosques around the country on Friday, March 12.

A communiqué issued by the organizing team and read by Right Rev. Dr. Yaw Frimpong-Manso, Chairman of the Christian Council of Ghana, proposed that the Week was additional declared a National Development Week, to increase awareness on development issues among Ghanaians.

They also proposed that the Presidency instituted an annual Presidential Breakfast as part of the nation’s spirituality in governance.

Most Rev. Charles Palmer-Buckle, Metropolitan Archbishop of Accra and acting President of the Catholic Bishops Conference, who chaired the launching, urged all to participate in the event, saying “a nation that prays together, stays together.”

According to the Prayer Guide, Sunday, March 7, would be used pray for a national revival after for development after 53years of gaining independence from colonial rule.

March 8 is a day for confession of sins, and Ghanaians would be expected to pray against the increasing greed, dishonesty and corruption in the Ghanaian society.

The following day would be used to pray for the President and his Vice, Ministers, DCEs and their staff, and the security services that they may enjoy good health and work with integrity.

On March 10, prayers would focus on the Legislature, Judiciary and Media that they may serve the nation with truthfulness and honesty.

Prayers for God’s guidance for an effective development and management of the nation’s natural resources such as oil, gold and water bodies would be held on March 11.

The growth of the economy, industries, the private sector, investments and job-creation initiatives would be the focus of prayers on March 12.

The youth and children and educational institutions would be prayed for on March 13 for divine guidance in addressing the menace of indiscipline, sexual immorality, occultism and drug abuse among young people.

On March 14, President Mills and leaders from various sections of the Ghanaian society are expected to attend the national event at the Independence Square in Accra where thousands of Ghanaians are expected to turn out to pray for the nation with one common voice.

The organizing team is made up of the leaders of the Christian Council of Ghana, National Catholic Secretariat, Ghana Pentecostal Council, National Association of Charismatic and Christian Churches and Council of Independent Churches, with representatives of government.

Bagbin, others sworn in

Tuesday February 23, 2010

By Edmund Mingle

President John Evans Atta Mills yesterday swore into office six newly appointed Ministers, with charge on them to support the government to achieve its development targets.

“This is a year of action,” he told the Ministers, a number of whom were drafted from the leadership of the majority in Parliament into the executive.

The new Ministers are Alban Kingsford Bagbin, Water Resources, Works and Housing; Enoch Teye Mensah, Employment and Social Welfare; John Akologu Tia, Information; Martin Amidu, the Interior; Inusah A.B. Fuseini, deputy Minister for Energy and Moses Mabengba, Northern regional Minister.
They were appointed following President Mills’ first ministerial reshuffle recently.

After administering the Oaths of Office, Allegiance and Secrecy to the new appointees, many of whom are old faces in the ruling NDC, having held ministerial positions in the previous NDC administration, President Mills reminded them that they were joining the government’s team at a crucial time of his administration.

According to President Mills, although a lot of gains have been achieved by the government in its first year, citing the stabilization of the economy, the increasing decline of inflation and the improvement in investments, there was more work to be done this year, and expressed optimism that with the contribution of his Ministers, “we will be able to perform to the satisfaction of Ghanaians.”

“We want to remain as a team,” he said and urged the new Ministers to uphold the interest of the nation in their work, towards improving the living conditions of Ghanaians.

He also congratulated them for the achievement, and encouraged them to bring their experience to bear on their respective ministries, saying he had no cause to doubt their experience in governance.

Mr. Alban Bagbin, who prior to the appointment was the Majority Leader in Parliament, speaking on behalf of his colleagues thanked God for making them worthy of the trust of the President.

“We are most grateful,” he told the President, and pledged that they would be committed to the better Ghana agenda, and the interest of all Ghanaians.

“With God’s gracious guidance and your assistance, we will definitely not fail you and Ghanaians,” he told the President.

Johnson Asiedu Nketia, General Secretary of the ruling NDC, in his remarks, also congratulated the appointees, and commended the President choosing them.

“We are putting forward some of our best people,” he said.

He said although the appointees, especially those from the leadership of Parliament, would be missed at the frontline of party’s work in Parliament, there was consolation in the fact that their appointment was for the good of the nation.

Pursue economic diplomacy--Prez tells envoys

Wednesday, February 24, 2010
By Edmund Mingle

President John Atta Mills yesterday invited all hands on deck to push the country’s industrialization drive, saying here is a there was a urgent need to change the nation’s economic paradigm for the benefit of Ghanaians.

“With our discovery of oil and gas, we want to change Ghana’s economic paradigm so that our over dependence primary raw materials such as cocoa, timber and gold would be a thing of the past.

“So that by the time we exploited these resources, we would have a prosperous 21st century nation whose economy is based on industry.

President Mills stated these when he swore into office Victor Smith and Peter Kwesi Ebo Yankey, Ghana’s new Ambassadors to Czech Republic and DR Congo respectively, at the Castle Osu in Accra.

The President, who reiterated his declaration of 2010 as a year of action, said the government would was pursing various initiatives to ensure that the country’s economy was effectively diversified to achieve the necessary growth.

He therefore reminded his appointees of the need to work in that direction.

Also, he reminded Ghana’s envoys of the need to pursue economic diplomacy in addition to efforts towards enhancing Ghana’s relations with other countries, with the aim of addressing socio-economic challenges facing the country.

President Mills congratulated the two envoys on their appointment, indicating that their appointment was based on their proven expertise.

Based on their vast expertise, President Mill therefore urged them to “do everything in our power to help us achieve this very important objective” of national development.

James Victor Gbeho, Presidential Advisor on Foreign Policy, addressing the envoys after they had been sworn in, advised them to guard against corruption, and uphold integrity in the performance of their duties.

“Knowing you as I do, I have no doubt that you will perform creditably,” he told them, reminding them that because they have been familiar to the corridors of power, “must is expected of you.”

Mr. Smith, speaking on behalf of his colleague, thanked the President for the opportunity to serve the country from outside Ghana, and gave assurance they would remain loyal to Ghana and committed to the task assigned to them.

Africa Needs Economic Emancipation

Wednesday, February 10, 2010

By Edmund Mingle

Africa is at the crossroads of economic development, and requires rigorous strategies to spur its rapid growth, says President John Evans Atta Mills.

“The era of political emancipation in Africa is over, and now is the time to lift the people out of the quagmire of poverty,” he said as he opened the Seventh Africa Investment Forum in Accra yesterday.

The three-day forum, on the theme, “Accelerating intra-African trade and investment,” is one of the high level investment gatherings in Africa, aimed at providing a platform for all stakeholders to dialogue for developing an effective action plan for the continent’s economic growth.

In attendance are high powered delegations from across Africa, including some African leaders, Ministers of State, policy-makers, private sector investors and renowned economists.

Calling for economic emancipation, President Mills said: “This is the time for Africa to look for policies that will enable us to take advantage of opportunities to accelerate economic growth.

“This is the time to focus on economic growth, and economic growth cannot be achieved without the requisite investment,” he said.

He told the delegates that it was not enough to ask for investment for Africa since African countries and governments had to create the congenial atmosphere for investments to flourish.Investors, he said, wanted a transparent regulatory regime, requisite labour, reliable judicial process, reasonable cost of doing business and political stability adding, “investment will go where it is most welcome.”

He reiterated the call for more intra-African trade saying, “we have for a long time paid lip service to economic integration of Africa.”

President Mills noted that, although some gains had been made on intra-African trade at the sub-regional level, more could be achieved at the regional level through greater commitment towards developing a common African market.

He said it was unfortunate that African countries had, over the years, been looking to outsiders for investments, when there was so much investment potential within the continent, stressing “we should begin to look within.”

He expressed Ghana’s commitment towards enhancing regional trade, and noted that the country’s doors were open to investments and mutual partnerships.

President Mills lauded the high patronage of the forum and particularly thanked the Commonwealth Business Council, the organisers, for acceding to Ghana’s request to play the host and called for a constructive outcome that would effectively shape the future of the continent.

President Faure Gnassingbe and his Namibian counterpart, Hifikepunye Pohamba, in separate speeches, supported the call for increased intra-African trade, indicating that it was critical to the continent’s sustainable progress.

They recognised that the level of intra-African trade remained low compared to other regions around the globe and advocated the redoubling of efforts towards regional integration.Dr. Pascal Dozie, Chairman of the Commonwealth Business Council and co-chair of the Forum, cited corruption as the “greatest bottleneck to Africa’s development.”

He called for more strategies to address the inadequacies in the development initiatives of the continent to create the requisite environment to attract investment.

Dr. Ishmael Yamson, Chairman of the Ghana Investment Promotion Centre and co-chair of the Forum, said it was time for Africa to define its own development agenda to take advantage of opportunities in the aftermath of the global economic recession.

Achimota School Risks Closure

Friday January 29, 2010

By Edmund Mingle

Achimota School considered the pride of Ghana’s pre-tertiary education system faces imminent closure following the collapse of its sewerage system.

A number of the sewerage pipes have burst, resulting in the spillage of human excreta in the open and into gutters.

An Accra Metropolitan Assenbly (AMA) notice of summons dated January 19, 2010, is taking the management of the school to task for “discharging effluent with raw human excreta into open public drain which is likely to be injurious to health.”

The assembly is suing the management for exposing students and the public to health risks.

The AMA’s Environmental Health Department notice, gave the management two weeks to “abate the nuisance on your premises,” without which the school would have to be closed.

But the management of the school is blaming the situation on the activities of encroachers who have built on parts of the sewerage network thereby blocking the flow of liquid and solid waste from the school community.

Mrs. Beatrice Adom, the Headmistress told a group of journalists who visited the school yesterday, that the school does not have money to build a new sewerage system, saying a rehabilitation of the system “will cost millions of pounds.”

The school’s sewerage system is a large network of tunnels, connecting the various blocks of the Achimota Senior High School, Achimota basic school, Achimota Clinic, staff bungalows and golf club, converging at a terminal and treatment plant in the school’s farm, which has been currently encroached on by developers.

A closure of the school would mean that more than 3,000 primary pupils, 1,500 senior high students and 400 teaching staff would have to be sent home, while hundreds of dependants of teaching and non-teaching staff living in the bungalows would have to be relocated.

“If we close the school, it means we are failing the future,” the headmistress lamented.During the visit to the school on Wednesday, human waste from some of the blocked tunnels was gushing out onto the open ground, emitting foul stench over the area.I

t is said that the management of the school has not been able to deal with the encroachment problem because of a legal tussle between the school and the Owu family, the original owners of the land, over the ownership of the unused portions of the school’s land.

Although the Lands Court in Accra on Monday gave judgment restraining the school from carrying out a demolition exercise and the Owu family from further selling and developing parts of the land, brisk building activities were witnessed during the visit to the area.

The substantive suit challenging the school over the ownership of the unused land is expected to be heard by the court next month.

Many of the buildings on the encroached land are said to belong to some influential people, who are said to have hindered efforts to stop the encroachment.

Scholarship Secretariat Operations Under Scrutiny

Thursday February 11, 2010

By Edmund Mingle

The Audit Service has embarked on a special audit of the Scholarship Secretariat to determine the level of irregularities associated with the operations of the Secretariat.

It is especially to determine whether scholarships have been administered in accordance with the rules, regulations and directives governing them, as well as how efficient scholarship funds have been disbursed over the years.

John A. Y. Klinogo, Chairman of the Audit Service Board, made this known yesterday when he led executives of the Audit Service to call on President Mills at the Castle, Osu, said the auditing of the Secretariat was prompted by repeated “unrest among Ghanaian students abroad against delays in receiving their remittances.”

He explained that the auditing of the Scholarship Secretariat was part of special audits being carried out on various government agencies to effectively control the use of scare resources including the current auditing of all the 170 district assemblies in the country.

“The objective is to determine the total amount of liabilities or financial commitments which the District Assemblies have made,” he said.

Touching on some of the achievements by the Service, which is marking its centenary this year, he said the Service had been able to submit 12 Auditor-General’s Reports to Parliament between June 2009 and January 2010.

Those reports, he explained, included the Auditor-General’s Reports on the Consolidated Funds, and the Ministries, Departments and Agencies, which were tied to the Multi-Donor Budget Support to Ghana“We are happy to report that for the fourth year running, these reports have been submitted to Parliament in accordance with the statutory deadline of June 30 following the year ended on December 31 of the previous year,” he said.

He said some of their audits had resulted in huge savings to the nation, adding that the savings resulted from recoveries from misapplication of funds, errors in the financial statement, unauthorised payment and over-statement of expenditure among others.

Mr. Klinogo pledged the full commitment of the leadership of the Service to undertake its mandate of helping to promote efficient use of resources, and called for more support to enable the Service to enhance its operation.

“The Audit Service intends to continue to break new grounds by expanding the scope of its audit to include forensic and environmental auditing,” he said.

As part of the visit, Mr. Klinogo informed the President of planned activities for the centenary celebration, and invited the President to a grand durbar in August to climax of the event.

President Mills for his part, commended the Service for the contribution towards ensuring transparency, accountability and efficient use of national financial resources, and encouraged the Service to do more.

“Do not relent in your effort,” he said, adding that there was a need for all public officials to be made to account for their stewardship.

That, he said, was necessary because “there are people who think they can occupy public positions and not account for their stewardship.”

The President was particularly interested in the audit of the District Assemblies, which are currently said to be engulfed in huge debts, saying “we are looking forward to the reports with keen interest.”

He assured the Service of the necessary support from the government, stressing, “we have to beefup your capacity so that you can be better positioned to perform the task entrusted to you.”

Constitutional Review Commission Sets Off Well

Thursday February 11, 2010

By Edmund Mingle

The Constitutional Review Commission (CRC) has set off to a promising start, says Mrs. Bettt Mould-Iddrisu, Minister of Justice and Attorney-General.

The Minister, who informed President Mills of the progress of the CRC’s work yesterday, said that a lot of contributions were being received by the Commission from many stakeholders including the political parties, academia and other groups.

Speaking after the President had sworn Naa Alhaji Iddrisu, Kumbun-Na Yiri II, as the last member of the commission at the Castle, Osu, the Minister noted that the CRC had put in place measures to ensure the success of its work.

The Commission, she said, among other things, would hold a national retreat next week to inform Ghanaians of the various processes it would be using for its work to ensure fair opportunity for all to contribute to the process.

In addition, she said, the modalities for the review process would be announced to enable the public to follow the process more effectively.“With the swearing in of the Kumbun-Na, the Commission is prepared and set to take off with its work,” she said.

President Mills administered the Oaths of Office and Secrecy to the Kumbun Na, who was not present for the general swearing in of the members of the Commission last month.

He thanked the chief for accepting to serve on the commission and urged him to bring his expertise to bear on its work given the enormity of the Commission’s task.

He reiterated his call on the Commission to ensure fairness in the review process, saying “this is a national affair.”

The President also called for recommendations that would galvanise national unity and democratic progress in the country, since the constitution formed the foundation of the nation.

For his part, the Kumbun-Na, thanked the President for the confidence reposed in him and pledged to serve the country to the best of his ability and knowledge.

Independent body to manage oil money

Monday, 8 February 2010,

By Edmund Mingle

President John Evans Atta Mills says the government intends to establish an independent body to manage the revenue expected from the country’s oil resource to ensure transparency and effective management.

“This is to enable Ghanaians to know how the revenue is utilized,” he said on Saturday during an interaction with former American President Jimmy Carter who called on him at the Castle, Osu.

Although the President did not give details, he indicated that the formation of such an independent body was part of a comprehensive framework being developed by his administration for the proper monitoring and utilisation of oil resources for the benefit of Ghanaians.

Reiterating his administration’s determination to fight corruption, President Mills said the government was instituting measures, including the introduction of legislation, “to enhance our ability to fight corruption."

The President explained to Mr Carter, who is in the country to attend the African Regional Conference on the Right of Access to Information in Accra from February 7 to 9, that a number of anti-corruption initiatives, such as the Right to Information Bill, which the government had taken were expected to ensure transparency in governance.

“We are optimistic that all these pieces of legislation will help to strengthen our democracy,” he said.President Mills lauded the Carter Centre, under whose auspices the conference is being organised, for its immense contribution towards the progress of developing countries in Africa, and assured it of government’s continued cooperation.

Mr Carter, for his part, commended Ghana for the steady socio-economic gains over the years, saying Ghana remained a beacon of hope on the continent.

He encouraged the government to continue in the pursuit of sustainable growth and the improvement of the welfare of the citizenry, adding that there was the need for the country to safeguard its democracy.

Mr Carter, whose Carter Centre was set up to provide humanitarian and developmental assistance to poor countries, called for more collaboration between the government and the centre towards improving the lot of underprivileged Ghanaians.

The conference, to be opened this morning by President Mills, is bringing together more than 100 participants, representing regional and international institutions, government, civil society, media, academia and the private sector from at least 15 countries in Africa, to deliberate on issues on access to information.

“We are bringing stakeholders together to consider the issues in a meaningful way and will come up with a concrete action plan to move forward the right of access to information in Africa,” a statement from the Carter Centre quoted Laura Neuman, Project Manager of the Access to Information Initiative, as saying.

President slams utility service providers

By Edmund Mingle
Tuesday, 26 January 2010,

Ghanaians should no longer be made to suffer for the inadequacies of the utility services industry, says President John Evans Atta Mills.

Describing the increasing public complaints about poor utility services as "not the best", President Mills asked service providers to take customers seriously by improving on their services.

President Mills expressed these concerns when the executives of General Electric (GE) Services, an international utility service provider called on him at the Castle, Osu.

He noted that although there were genuine challenges confronting the service providers, it was critical that they significantly improved on their services.

The government, he said, was constantly monitoring the performance of the utility service industry, and gave the assurance that measures were in place to prevent the service providers from exploiting Ghanaians.

As a government desirous of effective national development, he said, his administration would continue to provide the necessary platform and support for the service providers to explore investment opportunities that would inure to the benefit of Ghanaians.

He lauded GE's increasing investments in Ghana, and assured the company of the government's cooperation.

President Mills was particularly interested in the company's operations in the energy sector, saying "power generation is of paramount interest to the government because of its strategic importance for job creation and sustainability."

"Ghana will therefore open its doors to investors in the energy sector".

GE, a US-based multinational firm operating in various sectors particularly energy and health industries in a number of countries across the globe, is far advanced with plans to invest in power generation in Ghana.

Jeff Immelt, Chief Executive Officer of GE, said the company was committed to participating in Ghana's power generation industry to support government's efforts at increasing power supply. Ghanaian Times