From: Kwaku Boatin, Public Advocate, CH- Geneva.

Summary:

? Genocide?

? Electricity black-outs

? Insecurity in Ghana

? Transitional Provisions

? Family Planning program

? Education/Health

? Waste Management

Transparency International on Ghana: Transparency International defines corruption as “the abuse of entrusted power for private gain”- many interpretations could be given to this: it might perhaps go further to explain that a cedi or dollar stolen from public treasury, would mean a denial of the right of the child to have access to even a Pac of baby milk: therefore in my view, I’ll not hesitate to equate corruption in our political system to genocide. Undoubtedly, it not only quite appalling but very disastrous to see gains fro m Africa’s hard struggle for independent to this time, being eroded by this canker of corruption: other interesting school of thoughts in their analyses of economic development and progress, comparing Malaysia and Ghana which started on equal footing from independence about 52 years ago…simply hum-up, pointing their shaky figures: indicating, look at Malaysia today….what happened to our efforts at development? Recapping my story on figures released by Transparency International Ghana is ranked 69th on the global corruption index, stepping back 3 steps from periods efforts. What a shame. And if you look at the list on African countries you realize that no serious efforts are being made to attack such dangerous canker of corruption.

• Is our political arena being turned into a sort of gold mine?

• Is our judicial system, our police system well equipped like the American FBI to help fight this dangerous canker of corruption?

One disturbing incident of late is the current media reports on allegation of bribery leveled against the President and some other members of the Government for having allegedly receive $14 million bribe from Vodafone, as kick -back over the take over of the Ghana Telecom.

Mr. Charles Kofi Wayo, the founder and leader of the United Renaissance Party (URP) who made the allegation, has claimed that he has information that members of the NDC government are in line to receive $14 million in bribes from Vodafone, 70% share owners of Ghana Telecom. (story/picture, published by ghanaweb.com)

Mr. Wayo did not stop there, he went further to accuse ex-President Kuffour for the sell-out of Ghana Telecom “just to get an award from Chatham House Award and of selling of the state asset to pocket the money. “ Read full story on www.ghanaweb.com on Wednesday, 18th Nov. 2009

Why refer to this story? We the members of silent majority (MSM) view with all seriousness the allegations and calls for immediate Parliamentary investigations into the claims by Mr. Wayo to ascertain the facts because the said allegations cuts a grimy slur on Ghana’s image, causing distractions and fuelling speculations, especially at a period when serious efforts should be directed at building the economy to reduce incidents of poverty and helping to create jobs.

Electricity Black-out 2. Another area of concern is the constant electricity black-out in the capital and its surrounding areas. This sort of problem, which has been lingering on for years, is causing damage to Ghana’s industries, tourism and other vital sectors like health, education and goes undermine our image as a determined people dedicated to a cause of reconstruction.

Insecurity situation in Ghana:

We’re (MSM) pausing briefly to applaud the authorities for immediate measures to arrest the deploring security situation in Ghana and we’re hoping that such stern measures would be strengthen to neutralize the gangs from controlling our streets, embarking on armed raids with impunity; that the police will be well equipped in terms of incentives, mobility and other essential items like communications and arms to safe guard life and property. The police must not be outgunned by criminals; that law and order should be maintained at its highest level, protecting lives and properties our hard won independence and liberties of free movement.

Transitional Provisions: 3. In the previous government of President Kuffour, there were talks, ignited by the then Attorney General on ex-punching the transitional provisions of the erstwhile PNDC from the constitution of the 3rd republic. It was argued that this would enable aggrieved persons who felt that their rights and liberties were infringed upon by the then Rawlings regime, to seek redress in the courts. We’re (MSM) seizing this opportunity to appealed to the Ghana Bar Association to make recommendations to the government to evolve a sort of program in memory of Judges—Mrs. Justice C. Koranteng-Addow, Mr. Justice K.A. Agyepong and Mr. Justice F.P. Sarkodee—and others who lost their lives in the turbulent dark days in Ghana history between the periods of 1978-1982.

The program could be in a form of annual lectures on human rights, while a statue be erected in honor of Mrs. Justice Koranteng-Addow, as symbolic remembrance of Ghana’s painful past, moving the country to forge ahead in search of a new order of freedom, justice, peace, stability and tranquility: reminding generations of today and tomorrow, that what happened in those dark days would never happen again: the statue of General Kotoka at the Ghana international airport, represents parts of our History.

Family Planning Program:

1. Another distressing issue is lack of effective family planning program in Ghana: This sort of program we have is it 'existing' in name only? There might perhaps be several reasons why paid up officials have not been performing satisfactorily. Some of the problems might be linked to lack of invectives like reasonable remunerations, and lack of tools to work. I strongly hold the view that this very important program needs to be upgraded to enable it serve effective purpose on population explosion, evils of unwanted pregnancy, teen -trap of becoming child mothers and its related sexual diseases. At least some organizations are contributing to reduce these incidences of ‘sexual ambush’. UNFPA (the United Nations Population Fund), according to Press reports, is providing the education and resources needed to break down the myths surrounding reproductive health. According to a report carried by modernghana.com, UNFPA has provided a $15,000 grant to fund this teen pregnancy awareness program and undertake research on the needs of teen-age mothers.

Teen pregnancy is becoming epidemic in Ghana, and some experts on the subject are attributing the disturbing rise to lack of education/awareness and stigma on the use of condoms and other contraceptives.

(Pregnant Teenager Teenage pregnancy cases among young adolescents (age 10 to 14) are gradually increasing compared to cases among older adolescents (15 to 19) which are reducing. According to a National Health Facility Data, teenage pregnancy cases among younger adolescents increased slightly in 2008, with 2,269 cases being recorded, as against the 2007 figure of 1,616. However, among older adolescents, cases reduced slightly. A total of 111,021 cases were recorded in 2008, as against 101,527 recorded in 2007).

Our future women leaders are dropping out of school like bees: do we need at this 21st century to be treating sex education, as a form of taboo in our society? These threatening barriers must be broken through civic education. While we expect child abuse laws to me tightened, new methods of pregnancy preventing methods need to be introduced and condoms must be subsidized or financed by the government to enable them reach pupils and students. There is also the need for the media to assist in such public sex education program.

Education; We’ve (MSM) observed to our utter dismay that the greater emphasis being laid on educational program at moment, provide mostly white collar scholars in Ghana. Less attention is being given to intensification of technical education, designed to turn-out technician and engineers needed for Ghana’s economic reconstruction. Some of the technical students, after finishing their studies reportedly continue to pursue studies into area of Administration to copy their counterparts clad in ‘Italian- cut continental suits matched with Indian silk flying tie”, because of lack of incentives and motivations in the technical fields. We pray that the current government will give greater attention to technical educational and vocational training which form, among others, the bed-rock of our development.

The exorbitant fees reportedly being charged by private institutions, including universities in Ghana, are raising eye-brows and sounding horns of alarm; praying Parliament in consultations with Educational authorities, introduces legislation, after critically examining details in conformity with our standards, to regulate the system; and Ghana should not shy away from seeking assistance from the donors countries to help equip fully our technical institutions to enable them perform to the maximum.

Heath—Malaria/HIV

WHO names malaria and HIV diseases as poverty related diseases causing health havoc in the countries of the South, including Ghana: malaria related diseases are on increase in Ghana but one gets the impression that there is lack of human resources or capacity to create awareness and control the disease through integrated approach of prevention and treatment as recommended by the medical experts. Therefore, to make the system work effectively, Ghana’s public health and regulatory framework must be re-examined to improve diseases control, d and eradication methods. A review or reforms of the regulations should infuse enforcement of household bye-laws on hygiene and cleanliness and proper handling of waste residuals.

While such review should take into recognizance WHO’s recommendations for malaria control, including the use of insecticide nets and area/indoor residual spraying, the regulations should also go further to reform laws to check household environmental violations, such as surrounding untidiness, mishandling of household waste.

STREETS AS SHOPPING MALL?

How clean are our cities and municipal towns? We’ve to redouble our efforts to save the capital of Accra from being sunk into filth. Household residuals, even including night soil are reportedly dumped indiscriminately, into gutters, open spaces, rivers and the sea: a recent visit to the South Labadi estates beaches, revealed an ugly scenes of dirt in the form of “human waste”, scattered across several areas of the beach: what an eye-saw: the sea is rolling back to the beaches all the trash dumped into it.

Accra Metropolitan Authority (AMA) apparently overwhelmed with enormous duties, must be supplied with needed equipment and necessary manpower, plus motivations and incentives to shoulder their obligatory functions: we are not stopping short of asking for rigid enforcement of law which will forestall all attempts to use the streets as a form of a shopping MALL. There is no excuse, whatsoever, for this: it’s simply a nuisance. Both sellers and buyers must be held responsible, while serious efforts are made by the authorities to establish markets at vantage points in the cities and other municipal areas. (2) Serious efforts must also be made to remove or demolish unauthorized structures (illegally) erected in the cities and municipal towns, notably in residential areas, causing nuisance and destruction to the environment. Handicapped persons parading in the streets, mostly as beggars must be catered for: it’s a societal responsibility, HONOURABLE SPEAKER, MR. PRESIDENT.

Waste Management:

Finally, I hold strong opinion that education and awareness must as a matter of urgency be created in the area of waste and waste management to check the unprecedented scale and speed of environmental pollution and degradation of Ghana’s natural resources—rivers and the sea. Indiscriminate dumping of plastic bags (even in POPULAR ABURI GARDENS) and other household waste, destruction and depletion of forests, soil and even mountains for gravels (Shai hills), threatened our very survival as humans. The media and the churches must assist in this important exercise.

Themes:

• Education: strategic instructions with formative effect on the mind and character:-

• Awareness: the state of ability to see, to feel or to be conscious of event.

• Waste Management: the art of collection, transport, processing, recycling and monitoring of waste materials, i.e. generally undertaken to reduce their hazardous effect on health and environment.

God bless Ghana.

End.