Summary Of Breakfast Shows

GTV BREAKFAST SHOW NEWSPAPER REVIEW

MODERATOR : GIFTY ANTI
PANELISTS : KWESI PRATT
ASARE OTCHERE DARKO

FINANCING POLITICAL PARTIES IN THE COUNTRY… IT WILL BE A DRAIN ON TREASURY SAYS PROF. GYIMAH-BOADI

INTRODUCTION

The Executive Director of the Ghana Centre for Democratic Development (CDD-Ghana), Professor E. Gyimah Boadi, has stated that public financing of political parties will be a drain on the national treasury. – Daily Graphic

Pratt - Government should not finance political parties in this country. We have an economic crisis and the country is underdeveloped so we should use the few cedis available to take care of the poor. If political parties are funded they will waste our resources and the small political parties will benefit most. The government should use national resources to finance education, health and engage in community development projects in the rural areas.

Darko - There are so many unemployed politicians in all the political parties so they will use the funds to pay themselves and buy expensive vehicles and live in luxury. Presidential aspirants will take advantage and engage in corruption and mismanagement of these funds. Government has no business funding these parties. The economy is in recession and government doesn’t have the resources and capacity to fund parties.

GETFUND LAW TO BE REVIEWED - PRESIDENT

INTRODUCTION

President Kufuor, has stated that the Ghana Education Trust Fund (GETFUND) law, would be reviewed in due course to cover private sector universities. He however, advised private universities, to be development-oriented and provide educational programmes with the right mix of science and technology on the one hand and ethical humanity on the other to stand the test of the 21st century. – The Daily Graphic

Pratt - Our educational institutions in this country are facing major problems which should be addressed by Ministry of Education and GES. If you go to Tamale in the Northern Region, some school children study under trees with no blackboards and furniture. Sometimes, they sit on stones and wood. The government should improve upon the transportation network to the northern sector and we should improve upon the electrical and water supply system in all the regions of Ghana. Education at the JSS and SSS level is very important for national development. We should begin to improve upon all the educational infrastructure and avoid politicising issues in the educational sector.

Darko - I think government has achieved much in the educational sector in the past few years. It is taking quick measures and initiating programmes to promote elementary education. It is very important for government to monitor the GETFUND. The fund should be used to assist the poor students in the country. It will help them acquire skills in the public schools and universities. The fund is not enough to finance all the private universities in the country.

8 PARTIES RISK EC’s SANCTIONS

INTRODUCTION

Available statistics at the Electoral Commission (EC) show that with the exception of the NPP all other political parties have not submitted their statement of accounts to the commission for the year 2003. The statistics also show that the NPP and the NDC have maintained consistent submission of accounts from 1992 to date with the NDC yet to submit its 2002 accounts. – Evening news

Pratt - We don’t have accurate facts and figures on most of the political parties in this country. Even the NPP don’t have offices in the required number of districts in the country because of the lack of logistic support and funding. It was reported sometime ago that it was only the CPP which submitted annual financial statements to the EC.

Darko - It is very important for all the political parties to submit accounts to the EC every year but all the political parties have failed to achieve that objective. In 2001 the CPP submitted an accurate financial report to the EC and in 2002 the People’s National Convention submitted their report. This year I think only NPP has done a good job by submitting their statement of accounts on time. We should all try to comply with the electoral laws and if possible amend them for acceptance by all parties. Dan Lartey’s party has not even got a chairman or organising secretary. I think, it is time we began to re-organise our various parties for effective elections in 2004.

METRO TV GOOD MORNING GHANA

MODERATOR : RANDY ABBEY
PANELISTS : CAPT JOEL SOWU
EDGAR WIREDU

GETFUND LAW TO BE REVIEWED - PRESIDENT

Sowu - It is the responsibility of the Ministry of Education and GES to establish a strong foundation for primary education in the country. Trained teachers are required to teach in the rural areas. We should promote science education at the elementary and Senior Secondary School level. We should decentralise the scholarship secretariat to assist poor but brilliant students to acquire tertiary education.

Wiredu - The Ministry of Education and the GES should play a supervisory role over the GETFUND and use it effectively to achieve good results. Some students have got certificates but they cannot perform in the field. Most students also want to work in the Banking and Financial sectors of the economy.

FINANCING POLITICAL PARTIES IN THE COUNTRY

Sowu - Our economy is in bad shape and using state funds to help parties will lead to total collapse of the national economy. We should have a national manifesto which will lead this nation forward. We are a HIPC country and the IMF is supporting our annual budget. We are poor and we cannot support political parties.

Wiredu - The Consolidated Fund is moving towards bankruptcy and the Electoral Commission should not invest money. Many people don’t like joining political parties because it is risky investing in a party which will not come to power.

DON’T COMPROMISE NATION’S UNITY FOR PAROCHIAL INTEREST

INTRODUCTION

The government has appealed to Ghanaians to ensure that the unity of the nation is not compromised for parochial interest. – The Daily Graphic

Wiredu - Ethnicity is an agenda being set by some private newspapers in this country. Most of these stories are not news worthy, accurate or factual so we should make the truth known to the public. We have lived with tribalism for many years and the media has an important role to play to unite the people to move forward. We should also advise editors of all newspapers to stop publishing tribal and ethnic stories which can create confusion and anarchy in the society. About half of Ghana’s population are Akans so definitely they will dominate the political scene.

Sowu - Boarding schools promote unity so the Ministry of Education and the GES should encourage the boarding school system. We should promote unity and bring children together. When I was in the military, we were educated to work in unity and our commanders ensured that we worked together as brothers and friends. The President has the right to appoint his family men or friends if he finds them efficient, effective and experienced.

TV3 MORNING TV

MODERATOR - GABRIEL BOSOMPEM PANELISTS - ATO CONDUAH
NANA OBIRI YEBOAH
FAUSTEL COFFIE

ISSER BOSS ADVOCATES FOR NEW DEVELOPMENT FUND

INTRODUCTION

Prof. George Aryeetey, Head of the Institute for Statistical Social and Economic Research (ISSER) has called on the gpvernment of Ghana to state is position on a new proposed form of financing development in Africa by the international community. Ato - We must control the economy by engaging in effective economic planning. Abandonment of development project is a major factor.

Coffie - We should move away from the IMF and World Bank and generate local revenue to support our development aspirations.

Nana - Government should look at our export base by exporting more cocoa and minerals for foreign exchange. Donor fatigue is the major problem facing the IMF. They are feed up with giving us more which is spent on only food and shelter.

GETFUND LAW TO BE REVIEWED - PRESIDENT

Nana - Institutions like the Ghana Institute of Journalism and National Film and Television Institute don’t benefit form the GETFUND. We should improve upon the technical infrastructures in the Polytechnics and universities.

Coffie - We should improve upon the infrastructure in the private tertiary institutions. We should provide, science laboratories and good lecturers.

DON’T COMPROMISE NATION’S UNITY FOR PAROCHIAL INTERESTS

Nana - We have ethnic wars in some countries in the sub-region. Ghana is a peaceful society so we should appeal to newspapers editors to stop publishing stories on tribalism and nepotism in Ghana. It is the responsibility of journalists and politicians to ensure the unity and stability of the nation.

Ato - Reporters should be educated to stop ethnic reportage and I think the Minister of Information is right in cautioning us to avoid tribalism in the media. Politicians should also seek the national interest and stop favouritism and nepotism in government.

Coffie - Ethnic discrimination is still prevailing in society. Some people intentionally ridicule certain tribes in Ghana and these things should stop. We should avoid it for it is dangerous for national development.

FINANCING POLITICAL PARTIES IN THE COUTNRY

Coffie - A lot of discussions have gone on in this country on funding political parties. The funds may be diverted for the benefit of unemployed politicians who are supporting these parties.

Nana - Businessmen invest in political parties in order to expand their business activities. Business people are not a charitable and benevolent group so we should fund political parties to avoid corruption and mismanagement in the country.