Story: Michael Donkor
THE Chief Director of the Ministry of Fisheries, Mr Emmanuel Mensah Quaye, has explained that government is in the process of equipping the Ghana Navy to police the country’s territorial waters.
Responding to public concerns about the inability of the Ghana Navy to check pair trawling in an interview with the Daily Graphic, he said “Cabinet had agreed to acquire six ships for the Ghana Navy to enable it to patrol the country’s territorial waters”.
Mr Quaye said the difficulty now was because the money could not be raised for the purchase of the ships and it was, therefore, agreed to buy two at a time.
He discounted claims that pair trawling was responsible for the low catch by fishermen in recent times, citing unorthodox methods of fishing, the continued use of wooden vessels and the refusal of fishermen to observe a period as lean season.
Mr Quaye announced plans by the ministry to help modernise fishing methods in the country by assisting local fishermen to develop fibreglass canoes as against the wooden vessels they now used. Consequently, he said, a company from India, Fibroplast, had expressed interest in the building of the fibreglass canoes.
He said this had become necessary because the wooden canoes that the fishermen currently used had effects on the performance of the industry and the environment.
Explaining further the decision of the ministry to allow pair trawling, Mr Quaye said the policy was for experimental purposes.
He said in view of this, three companies were licensed to undertake this experiment, the result of which would be fed into the fisheries policy of the country.
The Chief Director said that the results which came up during the period of experimentation provoked protests from the local fishermen who complained that they were not making any catch, since the sea bed was being swept by those engaged in pair trawling.
Consequently, he said the ministry placed a ban on pair trawling somewhere last year.
He said the three companies that were licensed to undertake the pair trawling then approached the ministry that based on the licence issued to them, they contracted loans from their banks to do that and would be grateful if they could be allowed to redeem it.
Mr Quaye said the ministry then lifted the ban to allow these three licensed companies to wind up by the end of the year.
He debunked the notion that the local fishermen were not harvesting fish and said the real problem was how to get consumers to patronise their catch.
He said the ministry had had complaints from the Association of Fish Dealers that their catches were not being purchased.
Mr Quaye said pair trawling was against the laws of the country but the ministry decided to experiment it and the result fed into the fisheries policy.
He said pair trawling had created a lot of problems for the ministry and that at the end of this year, it would be banned completely.
He said among the problems were the tussle between the local fishermen and those engaged in pair trawling, as well as those engaged in inshore vessel operations who were also accused of using light and dynamites, which was proscribed by the Fisheries Act 265 of 2002.
Mr Quaye said among the reasons why the local fishermen were not making good harvests were the wooden canoes they used and the practice where they fished throughout the year.
He said in Europe there was a lean season during which they allowed the fishes in the sea to grow and called for days in Ghana when fishing would not be allowed.
Following the complaints of unorthodox fishing methods, Mr Quaye said the ministry had tasked the fishermen to monitor and report any trawler they found engaged in illegal activities but no such official report had been made.
Mr Quaye further pointed out that it was not only foreign companies that engaged in pair trawling but local ones as well.
He said among the effects were that the fishermen depleted the forest when they logged woods for the building of their canoes.
Mr Quaye said the canoes used by the fishermen had engines that were not strong enough to propel them far.
He said the ministry had arranged with the Agricultural Development Bank (ADB) to support the new drive.
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
Practise of Pair Trawling, Navy Cann't Cope. Says Chief of Naval Staff, (Agust 25, 2008) Front Page
Story:Michael Donkor
THE Ghana Navy has confirmed the involvement of large foreign vessels in the practice of pair trawling in the county’s territorial waters, but says it can do little to arrest the situation.
Reacting to allegations that pair trawling by foreign vessels had thrown Ghanaian fishermen out of job, the Chief of Naval Staff, Rear Admiral Arthur Riby Sampa Nuno, said two things accounted for the inability of the Navy to check the situation — the blessing from the Ministry of Fisheries for the practice and the lack of the appropriate vessels to ward off the perpetrators of the practice.
The naval chief said a letter dated October 17, 2007, which the navy received from the Ministry of Fisheries, stated that the ban on pair trawling had been lifted for some licensed fishing companies to engage in it.
He said the Ghana Navy worked in collaboration with the Ministry of Fisheries and that since the former had written to them on the lifting of the ban, all they could do was to allow those foreign vessels to continue with their pair trawling.
However, the Chief Director at the Ministry of Fisheries, Mr Emmanuel Mensah Quaye, confirmed the letter but explained that it was to allow only three companies which had been licensed to experiment with pair trawling for a limited period after which their licences would be withdrawn. He promised that the licences would be withdrawn by the end of this year.
On the second reason, Rear Admiral Nuno said those involved in the practice were using more superior vessels than those being used by the Navy
He said the Naval personnel usually encountered the fishing vessels on the high seas but the superior vessels used for the pair trawling sped off leaving the naval ships behind.
He said the ships of the Ghana Navy were very old, with some having been in use for more than 60 years.
He mentioned some of the old naval ships as GNS Anzone and GNS Bonsu.
Rear Admiral Nuno explained that some of the ships were not functioning well because there were no parts to replace the old ones.
He said Ghana had one of the best and highly professional naval personnel, who were ready to work and defend the country even at their peril but lacked the resources to effectively carry out their mandate.
He said the Vessel Monitoring System (VMS) of the Ghana Navy was also not functioning because the license to operate it had expired.
Rear Admiral Nuno said the much publicised money to be released by the government to acquire logistics for the Navy to enable it to function to its fullest had not been received yet.
Rear Admiral Nuno said despite these challenges faced by the Navy, there was hope for the future, since discussions were underway for the Navy to acquire new ships.
He said a delegation from North Korea was in the country holding talks with the Ghana Navy to build new ships for the service.
He expressed the hope that with the oil find, the Ghana Navy would be adequately resourced to perform effectively.
Earlier in an interview with the Chief of the Defence Staff, Lt. Gen. J.B. Danquah, he said the government had secured a deal with the United States of America for them to assist the Ghana Navy.
He said consequently, the USA had promised to give the Ghana Navy five speed boats.
He said out of the five, the USA had shown strong commitment to bringing three of the boats any time soon.
He said this would be followed by a joint military training between the Ghana Navy and the US Marines on how to use them.
THE Ghana Navy has confirmed the involvement of large foreign vessels in the practice of pair trawling in the county’s territorial waters, but says it can do little to arrest the situation.
Reacting to allegations that pair trawling by foreign vessels had thrown Ghanaian fishermen out of job, the Chief of Naval Staff, Rear Admiral Arthur Riby Sampa Nuno, said two things accounted for the inability of the Navy to check the situation — the blessing from the Ministry of Fisheries for the practice and the lack of the appropriate vessels to ward off the perpetrators of the practice.
The naval chief said a letter dated October 17, 2007, which the navy received from the Ministry of Fisheries, stated that the ban on pair trawling had been lifted for some licensed fishing companies to engage in it.
He said the Ghana Navy worked in collaboration with the Ministry of Fisheries and that since the former had written to them on the lifting of the ban, all they could do was to allow those foreign vessels to continue with their pair trawling.
However, the Chief Director at the Ministry of Fisheries, Mr Emmanuel Mensah Quaye, confirmed the letter but explained that it was to allow only three companies which had been licensed to experiment with pair trawling for a limited period after which their licences would be withdrawn. He promised that the licences would be withdrawn by the end of this year.
On the second reason, Rear Admiral Nuno said those involved in the practice were using more superior vessels than those being used by the Navy
He said the Naval personnel usually encountered the fishing vessels on the high seas but the superior vessels used for the pair trawling sped off leaving the naval ships behind.
He said the ships of the Ghana Navy were very old, with some having been in use for more than 60 years.
He mentioned some of the old naval ships as GNS Anzone and GNS Bonsu.
Rear Admiral Nuno explained that some of the ships were not functioning well because there were no parts to replace the old ones.
He said Ghana had one of the best and highly professional naval personnel, who were ready to work and defend the country even at their peril but lacked the resources to effectively carry out their mandate.
He said the Vessel Monitoring System (VMS) of the Ghana Navy was also not functioning because the license to operate it had expired.
Rear Admiral Nuno said the much publicised money to be released by the government to acquire logistics for the Navy to enable it to function to its fullest had not been received yet.
Rear Admiral Nuno said despite these challenges faced by the Navy, there was hope for the future, since discussions were underway for the Navy to acquire new ships.
He said a delegation from North Korea was in the country holding talks with the Ghana Navy to build new ships for the service.
He expressed the hope that with the oil find, the Ghana Navy would be adequately resourced to perform effectively.
Earlier in an interview with the Chief of the Defence Staff, Lt. Gen. J.B. Danquah, he said the government had secured a deal with the United States of America for them to assist the Ghana Navy.
He said consequently, the USA had promised to give the Ghana Navy five speed boats.
He said out of the five, the USA had shown strong commitment to bringing three of the boats any time soon.
He said this would be followed by a joint military training between the Ghana Navy and the US Marines on how to use them.
Tuesday, August 19, 2008
Ministry to probe Security Companies(Front Page) August 18, 2008
Story: Michael Donkor
THE Ministry of the Interior has instituted investigations into allegations that some security organisations are training their guards with weapons, contrary to regulations guiding the industry.
Consequently, the General Secretary of the Union of Private Security Employees of Ghana (UPSEG), Nana Kofi Adu II, is to be invited to assist the ministry fish out these companies.
The Minister of the Interior, Dr Kwame Addo-Kufuor, who made this known in an interview with the Daily Graphic in Accra yesterday, said it was an offence to train private security personnel with weapons.
He said after the investigations, companies found to be culpable of the offence would be dealt with, according to the law.
He, however, appealed to anybody with information about private security companies that operated contrary to the laws to report his ministry or the police.
Nana Adu II last Monday alleged at a news conference in Accra that some private security organisations were training their guards with weapons, contrary to regulations guiding the industry.
He said if the situation was not checked, it could destabilise the peace and security of the nation, particularly during the December elections.
He said some of these security companies were also training their personnel at unknown areas, making it difficult for them to be monitored and checked.
“We are convinced that not all these companies can easily be located or their mode of operations clearly known by the police and the Ministry of the Interior. We also suspect that some of them could be armed, which to us, is illegal and dangerous for the security of the state,” Nana Adu added.
In another development, a security expert, Dr Emmanuel Kwesi Enning, has called for a revision of the law regulating the operation of private security organisations in the country to inject sanity into their operations, reports Kofi Yeboah.
He said the existing legal frameworks regulating the industry, such as the Police Service Act, 1970 (Act 350), and LI 1671, which was revised in 1994, were weak and needed to be reinforced.
Dr Enning, who made the call in an interview with the Daily Graphic, observed that some of the private security companies, for instance, used sirens on their vehicles and dressed in a manner akin to the police, contrary to the law.
He said although the law prohibited private security operatives from using guns, a private security worker who owned a gun and had registered it could take the weapon to work without offending the law.
Dr Enning, who is the Head of Conflict Prevention, Management and Resolution Department of the Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre, therefore, stressed the need to revise the law to permit the use of guns by security companies in a manner that was well regulated.
He said following the government’s efforts to restructure private security operations in 2002, it was found out that, out of about 320 companies currently operating in the country, about two-thirds of them were not registered by the Ministry of the Interior.
On the allegation that the establishment of private security companies by some politicians could be used for political purposes, Dr Enning described the allegation as “disingenuous”, adding that “we should de-politicise the issue”.
He said people were interested in security not because they wanted to use it for political purposes, but because they were interested in safeguarding their own safety.
Recently, the Minister of State at the Ministry of the Interior, Nana Obiri Boahen, declared the ministry’s resolve to assert its authority over the private security industry.
He announced various measures, including registration of the companies and tracking down those operating without identifiable addresses and outside regulations guiding the industry, to bring the situation under control.
When contacted, Nana Boahen said “the response has been very great”, with many of the companies updating their records and renewing their licences.
He said many of them had also been sending their monthly returns to the ministry, expressing the hope that the situation would further improve.
THE Ministry of the Interior has instituted investigations into allegations that some security organisations are training their guards with weapons, contrary to regulations guiding the industry.
Consequently, the General Secretary of the Union of Private Security Employees of Ghana (UPSEG), Nana Kofi Adu II, is to be invited to assist the ministry fish out these companies.
The Minister of the Interior, Dr Kwame Addo-Kufuor, who made this known in an interview with the Daily Graphic in Accra yesterday, said it was an offence to train private security personnel with weapons.
He said after the investigations, companies found to be culpable of the offence would be dealt with, according to the law.
He, however, appealed to anybody with information about private security companies that operated contrary to the laws to report his ministry or the police.
Nana Adu II last Monday alleged at a news conference in Accra that some private security organisations were training their guards with weapons, contrary to regulations guiding the industry.
He said if the situation was not checked, it could destabilise the peace and security of the nation, particularly during the December elections.
He said some of these security companies were also training their personnel at unknown areas, making it difficult for them to be monitored and checked.
“We are convinced that not all these companies can easily be located or their mode of operations clearly known by the police and the Ministry of the Interior. We also suspect that some of them could be armed, which to us, is illegal and dangerous for the security of the state,” Nana Adu added.
In another development, a security expert, Dr Emmanuel Kwesi Enning, has called for a revision of the law regulating the operation of private security organisations in the country to inject sanity into their operations, reports Kofi Yeboah.
He said the existing legal frameworks regulating the industry, such as the Police Service Act, 1970 (Act 350), and LI 1671, which was revised in 1994, were weak and needed to be reinforced.
Dr Enning, who made the call in an interview with the Daily Graphic, observed that some of the private security companies, for instance, used sirens on their vehicles and dressed in a manner akin to the police, contrary to the law.
He said although the law prohibited private security operatives from using guns, a private security worker who owned a gun and had registered it could take the weapon to work without offending the law.
Dr Enning, who is the Head of Conflict Prevention, Management and Resolution Department of the Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre, therefore, stressed the need to revise the law to permit the use of guns by security companies in a manner that was well regulated.
He said following the government’s efforts to restructure private security operations in 2002, it was found out that, out of about 320 companies currently operating in the country, about two-thirds of them were not registered by the Ministry of the Interior.
On the allegation that the establishment of private security companies by some politicians could be used for political purposes, Dr Enning described the allegation as “disingenuous”, adding that “we should de-politicise the issue”.
He said people were interested in security not because they wanted to use it for political purposes, but because they were interested in safeguarding their own safety.
Recently, the Minister of State at the Ministry of the Interior, Nana Obiri Boahen, declared the ministry’s resolve to assert its authority over the private security industry.
He announced various measures, including registration of the companies and tracking down those operating without identifiable addresses and outside regulations guiding the industry, to bring the situation under control.
When contacted, Nana Boahen said “the response has been very great”, with many of the companies updating their records and renewing their licences.
He said many of them had also been sending their monthly returns to the ministry, expressing the hope that the situation would further improve.
Friday, August 15, 2008
Police must remain neutral — TEIN (Political page) August 14, 2008
Story: Michael Donkor
THE Greater Accra Regional branch of the Tertiary Education Institution (TEIN) of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) has called on the police to remain neutral and exhibit a high sense of professionalism in the discharge of their duties during the December elections.
The President of the Greater Accra branch of TEIN of the NDC, Mr Fred Agbenyo, who made the call at a news conference in Accra on Tuesday, reminded the police of the oath they took to defend the country and added that Ghana was bigger than any political party.
He said information reaching them indicated that some police personnel had shirked their responsibility to ensure law and order and were aiding the New Patriotic Party (NPP) to disenfranchise some Ghanaians.
Mr Agbenyo also questioned the credibility and procedure for selecting registration officers by the Electoral Commission and said most of them were NPP faithful.
He said for instance at Legon, the second vice president of TESCON, one Mr Gyasi, was the registration officer there.
He said this undermined the credibility and political neutrality of the Electoral Commission
He said there had not been any reported case of shortage in the Ashanti Region but there had been widespread shortage in the Volta and the northern regions.
Mr Agbenyo said the EC claimed they were adequately resourced and lacked nothing and questioned why they could provide only 2,500 workstations, out of which Greater Accra, which was the most-densely populated, was given only 79.
He said despite Greater Accra having the highest population, the EC initially gave the region 166,000 registration forms whilst, Ashanti was given 164,000 forms.
THE Greater Accra Regional branch of the Tertiary Education Institution (TEIN) of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) has called on the police to remain neutral and exhibit a high sense of professionalism in the discharge of their duties during the December elections.
The President of the Greater Accra branch of TEIN of the NDC, Mr Fred Agbenyo, who made the call at a news conference in Accra on Tuesday, reminded the police of the oath they took to defend the country and added that Ghana was bigger than any political party.
He said information reaching them indicated that some police personnel had shirked their responsibility to ensure law and order and were aiding the New Patriotic Party (NPP) to disenfranchise some Ghanaians.
Mr Agbenyo also questioned the credibility and procedure for selecting registration officers by the Electoral Commission and said most of them were NPP faithful.
He said for instance at Legon, the second vice president of TESCON, one Mr Gyasi, was the registration officer there.
He said this undermined the credibility and political neutrality of the Electoral Commission
He said there had not been any reported case of shortage in the Ashanti Region but there had been widespread shortage in the Volta and the northern regions.
Mr Agbenyo said the EC claimed they were adequately resourced and lacked nothing and questioned why they could provide only 2,500 workstations, out of which Greater Accra, which was the most-densely populated, was given only 79.
He said despite Greater Accra having the highest population, the EC initially gave the region 166,000 registration forms whilst, Ashanti was given 164,000 forms.
Provide more metres for counpound houses - GJA President(Centre Spread) August 15, 2008
Story: Michael Donkor
THE President of the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA), Mr Ransford Tetteh, has called on the Public Utilities Regulatory Commission (PURC) to prevail on the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) to provide more meters for compound houses to benefit from the government’s intervention.
He said the government’s intention to reduce the burden on consumers in the lower bracket of society motivated it to introduce the lifeline rate, but unfortunately this intervention was not helping the low income earner because they lived in compound houses where sometimes about 10 households used a single meter.
Mr Tetteh made the call when he inaugurated a 10-member PURC’s press corps in Accra yesterday.
The inauguration of the press corps was made possible with the support of the PURC.
The move by the PURC was aimed at assisting journalists who had interest in reporting on utility in the country to discharge their duties effectively.
Mr Tetteh said in the situation where the more you consume the more you pay, households that the lifeline intervention were supposed to benefit were rather losing.
He said to achieve the intended reason for the intervention, the PURC should encourage the ECG to provide more meters for compound houses.
Mr Tetteh commended the PURC’s efforts at enhancing its relationship with the media and urged other institutions to emulate the good example.
He said as media personnel, every opportunity to receive and disseminate information should not be ignored.
He said water and electricity were key drivers of development and progress in any society and encouraged members of the corps to expose challenges and possible inefficiencies in the sector with the view to improving services to the public.
Mr Tetteh urged the commission to do everything within its mandate to ensure that members of the press corps were well equipped to carry out their task of facilitating information flow to the consumer.
He advised the members of the corps not to speculate but clarify as well as verify issues before they report.
He said this was because issues regarding utility provision and regulation were very sensitive and should be dealt with with circumspection and fact.
Mr Tetteh appealed to the members to desist from sensationalism in educating Ghanaians on the critical role of the PURC and be guided by the concerns of journalism, which he said included accuracy, fairness and balance.
He noted that they could only be accurate when they sought clarification to the information that was made available to them by consumers bearing in mind that to every coin there were two sides.
Mr Tetteh expressed the hope that should the corps do their work according to the ethics and standards of their calling, issues concerning the sector could not be swept under the carpet.
The Chairman of the PURC, Prof. Frimpong Boateng, said the formation of the press corps had been on the agenda of the commission for many years.
He said the press corps was expected to team up with the public affairs directorate of the PURC to educate the public, as well as help the commission to improve it relationship with the consumer by way of making their concerns public.
Prof. Boateng stated that the press corps was not only to cover the mistakes of the commission but to uncover it as well.
The Executive Secretary of the PURC, Mr Stephen Adu, expressed the hope that the public would be better educated with the collaboration the commission had formed with the media.
THE President of the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA), Mr Ransford Tetteh, has called on the Public Utilities Regulatory Commission (PURC) to prevail on the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) to provide more meters for compound houses to benefit from the government’s intervention.
He said the government’s intention to reduce the burden on consumers in the lower bracket of society motivated it to introduce the lifeline rate, but unfortunately this intervention was not helping the low income earner because they lived in compound houses where sometimes about 10 households used a single meter.
Mr Tetteh made the call when he inaugurated a 10-member PURC’s press corps in Accra yesterday.
The inauguration of the press corps was made possible with the support of the PURC.
The move by the PURC was aimed at assisting journalists who had interest in reporting on utility in the country to discharge their duties effectively.
Mr Tetteh said in the situation where the more you consume the more you pay, households that the lifeline intervention were supposed to benefit were rather losing.
He said to achieve the intended reason for the intervention, the PURC should encourage the ECG to provide more meters for compound houses.
Mr Tetteh commended the PURC’s efforts at enhancing its relationship with the media and urged other institutions to emulate the good example.
He said as media personnel, every opportunity to receive and disseminate information should not be ignored.
He said water and electricity were key drivers of development and progress in any society and encouraged members of the corps to expose challenges and possible inefficiencies in the sector with the view to improving services to the public.
Mr Tetteh urged the commission to do everything within its mandate to ensure that members of the press corps were well equipped to carry out their task of facilitating information flow to the consumer.
He advised the members of the corps not to speculate but clarify as well as verify issues before they report.
He said this was because issues regarding utility provision and regulation were very sensitive and should be dealt with with circumspection and fact.
Mr Tetteh appealed to the members to desist from sensationalism in educating Ghanaians on the critical role of the PURC and be guided by the concerns of journalism, which he said included accuracy, fairness and balance.
He noted that they could only be accurate when they sought clarification to the information that was made available to them by consumers bearing in mind that to every coin there were two sides.
Mr Tetteh expressed the hope that should the corps do their work according to the ethics and standards of their calling, issues concerning the sector could not be swept under the carpet.
The Chairman of the PURC, Prof. Frimpong Boateng, said the formation of the press corps had been on the agenda of the commission for many years.
He said the press corps was expected to team up with the public affairs directorate of the PURC to educate the public, as well as help the commission to improve it relationship with the consumer by way of making their concerns public.
Prof. Boateng stated that the press corps was not only to cover the mistakes of the commission but to uncover it as well.
The Executive Secretary of the PURC, Mr Stephen Adu, expressed the hope that the public would be better educated with the collaboration the commission had formed with the media.
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
Long, winding queues at some registration centres(Page 17) 12 August 2008
Story:Michael Donkor
THE two days extension granted by the Electoral Commission (EC) for the voter registration exercise has done nothing about the long and winding queues at some registration centres in Accra.
The Daily Graphic, during a visit to five centres in Accra yesterday observed longer queues at the Kingsby Roundabout at New Achimota, Burma Camp, La Cathedral near the Olympia Cinema, Teshie and Adabraka.
Some of the centres had limited registration materials resulting in a very slow pace of the exercise.
Most of the prospective voters who spoke to the Daily Graphic said they had come to the centres as early as 4.30 am to avoid long queues but ended up in that situation as some people already there had secured places for their friends and relatives who came to cross the queue.
They complained that the queue continued to grow longer and longer because the registration exercise was very slow with the registration officers intermittently breaking to sort out issues on registration materials.
Despite the queues, the anxious voters maintained their cool at the centres and waited patiently in the scorching sun for their turn.
The registration officials who would not allow themselves to be distracted by the occasional misunderstandings of the prospective voters worked assiduously to get them registered.
They expressed satisfaction on how the exercise was moving but said much as they tried to register the people the number kept swelling.
They said occasionally there were some minors who had attempted to register but were turn away after explaining the consequences to them.
The prospective voters said if the queue should continue to move at such a slow pace then the extension period by the EC would not be enough for all the people to be registered before the closing date.
THE two days extension granted by the Electoral Commission (EC) for the voter registration exercise has done nothing about the long and winding queues at some registration centres in Accra.
The Daily Graphic, during a visit to five centres in Accra yesterday observed longer queues at the Kingsby Roundabout at New Achimota, Burma Camp, La Cathedral near the Olympia Cinema, Teshie and Adabraka.
Some of the centres had limited registration materials resulting in a very slow pace of the exercise.
Most of the prospective voters who spoke to the Daily Graphic said they had come to the centres as early as 4.30 am to avoid long queues but ended up in that situation as some people already there had secured places for their friends and relatives who came to cross the queue.
They complained that the queue continued to grow longer and longer because the registration exercise was very slow with the registration officers intermittently breaking to sort out issues on registration materials.
Despite the queues, the anxious voters maintained their cool at the centres and waited patiently in the scorching sun for their turn.
The registration officials who would not allow themselves to be distracted by the occasional misunderstandings of the prospective voters worked assiduously to get them registered.
They expressed satisfaction on how the exercise was moving but said much as they tried to register the people the number kept swelling.
They said occasionally there were some minors who had attempted to register but were turn away after explaining the consequences to them.
The prospective voters said if the queue should continue to move at such a slow pace then the extension period by the EC would not be enough for all the people to be registered before the closing date.
Monday, August 11, 2008
EC's lifeline for registration; 2 More Days(Front page) 11 August, 2008
Story:Michael Donkor
In Accra, large numbers of prospective voters had turned out at four registration centres in Accra, where the Daily Graphic observed the happenings on the official final day of the registration exercise.
At La Cathedral Centre, Burma Camp, Teshie and Adabraka there were long and winding queues formed by large numbers of people anxiously waiting for their turn to register.
The electoral officers at the centres were busily registering the people and would not even have the time to grant interviews to journalists who had come around.
However, some of the prospective voters who spoke to the Daily Graphic said they had come to the centres as early as 6 a.m, while others said they slept there to be able to register before the end of the exercise.
At La Cathedral, Naa Shika Lartey said she asked her younger brother to sleep at the centre for her to be able to be in front of the queue to register.
Agyei Tetteh said he came to the registration centre as early as 6 a.m. to register but to his surprise, there already was a queue which he had to join.
Rita Sowah said she had misplaced her identity card and had come to join the long queue as early as 8.30 a.m. to have another one done for her, but was advised to go home and wait for another time.
At Burma Camp, some soldiers were deployed at the centre, which is close to the General Headquarters of the Ghana Armed Forces, to ensure that there was orderliness in the exercise.
Some of the soldiers were spotted assisting the electoral officers to sort out the prospective voters while others helped in controlling the queues.
The prospective voters at that centre comprised of both civilians and soldiers.
Some of them said they had just turned the voting age while others said they had no interest in the previous elections, so they did not register.
At Teshie, the crowd was big and had overwhelmed the registration officers with a winding queue to the extent that it was difficult to get closer to them.
The situation was not different from that of Adabraka.
Although the queue was moving, the electoral officers at all the centres said they were not sure they could register all the prospective voters before the close of the day.
In Accra, large numbers of prospective voters had turned out at four registration centres in Accra, where the Daily Graphic observed the happenings on the official final day of the registration exercise.
At La Cathedral Centre, Burma Camp, Teshie and Adabraka there were long and winding queues formed by large numbers of people anxiously waiting for their turn to register.
The electoral officers at the centres were busily registering the people and would not even have the time to grant interviews to journalists who had come around.
However, some of the prospective voters who spoke to the Daily Graphic said they had come to the centres as early as 6 a.m, while others said they slept there to be able to register before the end of the exercise.
At La Cathedral, Naa Shika Lartey said she asked her younger brother to sleep at the centre for her to be able to be in front of the queue to register.
Agyei Tetteh said he came to the registration centre as early as 6 a.m. to register but to his surprise, there already was a queue which he had to join.
Rita Sowah said she had misplaced her identity card and had come to join the long queue as early as 8.30 a.m. to have another one done for her, but was advised to go home and wait for another time.
At Burma Camp, some soldiers were deployed at the centre, which is close to the General Headquarters of the Ghana Armed Forces, to ensure that there was orderliness in the exercise.
Some of the soldiers were spotted assisting the electoral officers to sort out the prospective voters while others helped in controlling the queues.
The prospective voters at that centre comprised of both civilians and soldiers.
Some of them said they had just turned the voting age while others said they had no interest in the previous elections, so they did not register.
At Teshie, the crowd was big and had overwhelmed the registration officers with a winding queue to the extent that it was difficult to get closer to them.
The situation was not different from that of Adabraka.
Although the queue was moving, the electoral officers at all the centres said they were not sure they could register all the prospective voters before the close of the day.
Thursday, August 7, 2008
Stop attacks on journalists(Page 55) August 7, 2008
Story: Michael Donkor
THE President of the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA), Mr Ransford Tetteh, has appealed to Ghanaians to desist from attacking journalists who are discharging their legitimate duties.
Referring to the alleged attack on some journalists of Radio Gold by policemen last Tuesday and a reporter of the Daily Guide, the GJA president said anybody who disagreed with the work of a journalist was entitled to seek redress with the National Media Commission (NMC) or issue a rejoinder to that effect.
Mr Tetteh made the appeal when the United Bank of Africa, Ghana (UBA) Limited presented a cheque for GH¢2,500 to support the 13th GJA’s Annual Awards at a ceremony in Accra yesterday.
The amount is in support of the Best Business and Financial Reporter category of the award.
Mr Tetteh urged Ghanaians to endeavour to live in peace and harmony with journalists.
He appealed to journalists to also check, cross-check and check again on their information before they put it across to the public.
Mr Tetteh said journalists also had the responsibility to abide by the ethics of the profession so as to ensure harmony in the society.
He said it was the aim of the GJA to ensure that everybody lived in a peaceful environment.
Mr Tetteh expressed the association’s gratitude to corporate Ghana for supporting to improve the media landscape in the country.
He gave the assurance that the media would not relinquish its role in holding public officers accountable.
The Group Head of Retail and Commercial Banking of the UBA, Mr Charles Odonkor, said the bank held the GJA in high esteem because of its significant role in the country’s democracy.
He said the media had also contributed a lot to the stability of the country, which had made their business to thrive.
Mr Odonkor urged the media to continue with their good works and not to engage in acts that would disrupt the peace of the country.
He pledged the bank’s continued support to the association.
THE President of the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA), Mr Ransford Tetteh, has appealed to Ghanaians to desist from attacking journalists who are discharging their legitimate duties.
Referring to the alleged attack on some journalists of Radio Gold by policemen last Tuesday and a reporter of the Daily Guide, the GJA president said anybody who disagreed with the work of a journalist was entitled to seek redress with the National Media Commission (NMC) or issue a rejoinder to that effect.
Mr Tetteh made the appeal when the United Bank of Africa, Ghana (UBA) Limited presented a cheque for GH¢2,500 to support the 13th GJA’s Annual Awards at a ceremony in Accra yesterday.
The amount is in support of the Best Business and Financial Reporter category of the award.
Mr Tetteh urged Ghanaians to endeavour to live in peace and harmony with journalists.
He appealed to journalists to also check, cross-check and check again on their information before they put it across to the public.
Mr Tetteh said journalists also had the responsibility to abide by the ethics of the profession so as to ensure harmony in the society.
He said it was the aim of the GJA to ensure that everybody lived in a peaceful environment.
Mr Tetteh expressed the association’s gratitude to corporate Ghana for supporting to improve the media landscape in the country.
He gave the assurance that the media would not relinquish its role in holding public officers accountable.
The Group Head of Retail and Commercial Banking of the UBA, Mr Charles Odonkor, said the bank held the GJA in high esteem because of its significant role in the country’s democracy.
He said the media had also contributed a lot to the stability of the country, which had made their business to thrive.
Mr Odonkor urged the media to continue with their good works and not to engage in acts that would disrupt the peace of the country.
He pledged the bank’s continued support to the association.
Wednesday, August 6, 2008
We won't compromise watchdog role-Tetteh(Centre spread) August 5, 2008
Story: Michael Donkor
THE President of the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA), Mr Ransford Tetteh, has stated that the support of corporate institutions for the association’s annual awards ceremony will not compromise the watchdog role of the media.
He said the GJA regarded that support as a partnership between it and the corporate institutions to build a strong media to operate in the country.
Mr Tetteh said this when the Stanbic Bank presented a cheque for Gh¢5,000 to support the 13th GJA awards at a ceremony in Accra yesterday.
The amount is in support of two categories of the awards: the best columnist and the best sports writer of the year.
Mr Tetteh said it was not wrong for the business community to support the GJA, since journalists could always hold the business community responsible.
Commenting on issues raised by a section of the media over the revised election guidelines for journalists, the GJA President said the association would be the last to introduce anything that would limit the scope of journalists in the country.
He said it had been the ambition of the GJA to rather expand the scope of journalism in the country and so it would not do anything to derail that effort.
Mr Tetteh said all the GJA wanted was to ensure that there was no confusion before, during and after the general election.
He said in calling election results, media houses should ensure that it was done in a way that would not undermine the electoral system of the country.
He appealed to journalists to be mindful of their work and continue to be the shining example in Africa and the world as a whole, emphasising that the revised election guidelines were not an imposition.
The Head of Human Resource at the Stanbic Bank, Wing Commander Samuel Allotey (retd), said the bank was committed to supporting the establishment of a vibrant media in the country, saying that support was to ensure that journalists met the required standards in the profession.
He pledged the banks commitment to continue to support the GJA’s annual awards and commended the association for instituting the awards.
Wing Commander Allotey expressed the hope that the event would be a grand one.
THE President of the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA), Mr Ransford Tetteh, has stated that the support of corporate institutions for the association’s annual awards ceremony will not compromise the watchdog role of the media.
He said the GJA regarded that support as a partnership between it and the corporate institutions to build a strong media to operate in the country.
Mr Tetteh said this when the Stanbic Bank presented a cheque for Gh¢5,000 to support the 13th GJA awards at a ceremony in Accra yesterday.
The amount is in support of two categories of the awards: the best columnist and the best sports writer of the year.
Mr Tetteh said it was not wrong for the business community to support the GJA, since journalists could always hold the business community responsible.
Commenting on issues raised by a section of the media over the revised election guidelines for journalists, the GJA President said the association would be the last to introduce anything that would limit the scope of journalists in the country.
He said it had been the ambition of the GJA to rather expand the scope of journalism in the country and so it would not do anything to derail that effort.
Mr Tetteh said all the GJA wanted was to ensure that there was no confusion before, during and after the general election.
He said in calling election results, media houses should ensure that it was done in a way that would not undermine the electoral system of the country.
He appealed to journalists to be mindful of their work and continue to be the shining example in Africa and the world as a whole, emphasising that the revised election guidelines were not an imposition.
The Head of Human Resource at the Stanbic Bank, Wing Commander Samuel Allotey (retd), said the bank was committed to supporting the establishment of a vibrant media in the country, saying that support was to ensure that journalists met the required standards in the profession.
He pledged the banks commitment to continue to support the GJA’s annual awards and commended the association for instituting the awards.
Wing Commander Allotey expressed the hope that the event would be a grand one.
Liberia — still picking up the pieces(Features page) August 4, 2008
By :Michael Donkor, Back from Liberia
A peaceful environment is conducive not only to the orderly transaction of business but also for the attraction of foreign capital deemed necessary for the socio-economic transformation of developing countries.
War is devastating as it strips people of their wealth and derails their efforts at national development. This scenario was obvious when I visited Liberia recently as part of a delegation led by the Minister of Defence, Mr Albert Kan-Dapaah, to witness the award of the United Nations meritorious medals to Ghanaian troops serving with its Mission in that Country.
I have seen footages of the war on television but I had not in the least imagined anything so dreadful in a people devastated by war and its attendant atrocities.
What I met on arrival at the Roberts International Airport was disappointment and despair among the citizens of this lovely nation which had played a significant role in Africa’s Renaissance. What is left of Liberia now are a despairing old people, a disillusioned and frightened adult population and a youth that is unfortunately steeled in warfare and would need decades to re-orientate.
The devastation of infrastructure is a pitiful sight to behold and is one’s hope that the West would assist in the reconstruction of the country. Ghana and Liberia have already signed an agreement for the Ghana Armed Forces to train soldiers of the Liberian Armed Forces.
Ghana is to also send some of its soldiers to Liberia to train their new recruits into their army. Currently the United Nations Mission in Liberia(UNMIL) is helping to maintain peace and order in that country and is expected to finally pull out its troops by December 2011.
If what I saw and heard during the visit is anything to go by, then the country is poised to put the past behind it and to forge ahead with the reconstruction exercise as Liberia is not all gloomy.
The optimism of the people and hopes of the government, give an indication of a country set for resurrection. Prior to the war, the country had encouraged foreign investment in the development of its rich natural resources, mainly rubber, iron ore, and timber.
Many of these investors have been slow to return after the end of hostilities. Liberia’s gross domestic product (GDP)—the total value of goods and services produced within a country had dropped to a fraction of pre-war levels. The civil war destroyed Liberia’s already dilapidated transportation network.
Railroads that connected port cities with now-defunct iron mines have deteriorated and are no longer operable. Only about six per cent of the country’s roads were paved in 1999. The major airport, Roberts International Airport in Monrovia can be compared to Ghana’s Air field at Sunyani in the Brong Ahafo Region.
With the poor state of the capital and other counties I visited, I was told that the economy had improved after the end of the civil war. Large numbers of returning refugees have led to high unemployment rates in Liberia.
Liberia is bounded on the north by Sierra Leone and Guinea, on the east by La Côte d’Ivoire, and on the south and west by the Atlantic Ocean. Mangrove trees line Liberia’s tidal estuaries and lagoons. Beyond the coast grow various kinds of palms, screw pines, and rubber trees.
In the evergreen forests are a mixed assortment of hardwood and broadleaf species, including ironwood and sassy. Deciduous forests, less dense than the evergreen forests, yield mahogany and softwoods. Wildlife has been depleted and survives mainly in the east and northwest.
Although Liberia has primarily an agricultural economy, minerals and forest products such as wood and rubber are its most important resources. The country has significant deposits of iron ore, diamonds, and gold. An estimated 48 per cent of people within Liberia live in cities and towns and make their living by farming or herding. Rice and cassava are the principal food crops of Liberia. Liberia’s dominant export crop is rubber, the production of which rebounded quickly after the end of the civil war. Companies like Firestone and Liberia Agriculture Company which are into rubber production were in full scale operation when I visited that country.
In 1926, the Firestone Tire and Rubber Company opened a rubber plantation of 400,000 hectares (one million acres) of land granted by the Liberian government the year before. Rubber production became the mainstay of the nation’s economy.
Following his election in May 1943, President William V. S. Tubman pursued a policy of national unification and economic development through foreign investment. The latter policy led to the exploitation in the 1950s of iron-ore deposits in the Bomi Hills, located north of Monrovia. Other cash crops include oil palm fruit (from which palm oil is extracted), coffee, cocoa, and sugar.
Timber is Liberia’s other important export earner. Most timber is exported in the form of uncut logs, but the government has encouraged development of the sawmilling industry. Most fish caught in Liberia are freshwater fish consumed locally. The Liberian commercial deep-water fishing catch includes sole, lobster, crayfish, shrimp, and crabs. Legislative power is vested in a two-chamber National Assembly. This body is composed of a Senate, whose 30 members are elected to nine-year terms, and a House of Representatives, whose 64 members are elected for six years.
A peaceful environment is conducive not only to the orderly transaction of business but also for the attraction of foreign capital deemed necessary for the socio-economic transformation of developing countries.
War is devastating as it strips people of their wealth and derails their efforts at national development. This scenario was obvious when I visited Liberia recently as part of a delegation led by the Minister of Defence, Mr Albert Kan-Dapaah, to witness the award of the United Nations meritorious medals to Ghanaian troops serving with its Mission in that Country.
I have seen footages of the war on television but I had not in the least imagined anything so dreadful in a people devastated by war and its attendant atrocities.
What I met on arrival at the Roberts International Airport was disappointment and despair among the citizens of this lovely nation which had played a significant role in Africa’s Renaissance. What is left of Liberia now are a despairing old people, a disillusioned and frightened adult population and a youth that is unfortunately steeled in warfare and would need decades to re-orientate.
The devastation of infrastructure is a pitiful sight to behold and is one’s hope that the West would assist in the reconstruction of the country. Ghana and Liberia have already signed an agreement for the Ghana Armed Forces to train soldiers of the Liberian Armed Forces.
Ghana is to also send some of its soldiers to Liberia to train their new recruits into their army. Currently the United Nations Mission in Liberia(UNMIL) is helping to maintain peace and order in that country and is expected to finally pull out its troops by December 2011.
If what I saw and heard during the visit is anything to go by, then the country is poised to put the past behind it and to forge ahead with the reconstruction exercise as Liberia is not all gloomy.
The optimism of the people and hopes of the government, give an indication of a country set for resurrection. Prior to the war, the country had encouraged foreign investment in the development of its rich natural resources, mainly rubber, iron ore, and timber.
Many of these investors have been slow to return after the end of hostilities. Liberia’s gross domestic product (GDP)—the total value of goods and services produced within a country had dropped to a fraction of pre-war levels. The civil war destroyed Liberia’s already dilapidated transportation network.
Railroads that connected port cities with now-defunct iron mines have deteriorated and are no longer operable. Only about six per cent of the country’s roads were paved in 1999. The major airport, Roberts International Airport in Monrovia can be compared to Ghana’s Air field at Sunyani in the Brong Ahafo Region.
With the poor state of the capital and other counties I visited, I was told that the economy had improved after the end of the civil war. Large numbers of returning refugees have led to high unemployment rates in Liberia.
Liberia is bounded on the north by Sierra Leone and Guinea, on the east by La Côte d’Ivoire, and on the south and west by the Atlantic Ocean. Mangrove trees line Liberia’s tidal estuaries and lagoons. Beyond the coast grow various kinds of palms, screw pines, and rubber trees.
In the evergreen forests are a mixed assortment of hardwood and broadleaf species, including ironwood and sassy. Deciduous forests, less dense than the evergreen forests, yield mahogany and softwoods. Wildlife has been depleted and survives mainly in the east and northwest.
Although Liberia has primarily an agricultural economy, minerals and forest products such as wood and rubber are its most important resources. The country has significant deposits of iron ore, diamonds, and gold. An estimated 48 per cent of people within Liberia live in cities and towns and make their living by farming or herding. Rice and cassava are the principal food crops of Liberia. Liberia’s dominant export crop is rubber, the production of which rebounded quickly after the end of the civil war. Companies like Firestone and Liberia Agriculture Company which are into rubber production were in full scale operation when I visited that country.
In 1926, the Firestone Tire and Rubber Company opened a rubber plantation of 400,000 hectares (one million acres) of land granted by the Liberian government the year before. Rubber production became the mainstay of the nation’s economy.
Following his election in May 1943, President William V. S. Tubman pursued a policy of national unification and economic development through foreign investment. The latter policy led to the exploitation in the 1950s of iron-ore deposits in the Bomi Hills, located north of Monrovia. Other cash crops include oil palm fruit (from which palm oil is extracted), coffee, cocoa, and sugar.
Timber is Liberia’s other important export earner. Most timber is exported in the form of uncut logs, but the government has encouraged development of the sawmilling industry. Most fish caught in Liberia are freshwater fish consumed locally. The Liberian commercial deep-water fishing catch includes sole, lobster, crayfish, shrimp, and crabs. Legislative power is vested in a two-chamber National Assembly. This body is composed of a Senate, whose 30 members are elected to nine-year terms, and a House of Representatives, whose 64 members are elected for six years.
Friday, August 1, 2008
GJA receives revised guidelines on elections(centre spread) August 1, 2008
Story: Michael Donkor
THE Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) Group of Eminent Persons has presented the draft of the revised guidelines on election coverage to the executive of the association in Accra.
The President of the GJA, Mr Ransford Tetteh, who received the document, said the revision of the guidelines on election coverage had been carried out as part of efforts by the association to improve the quality of media coverage of elections in the country.
He said the GJA had found the guidelines a useful document which served as an essential reminder of how to cover elections, especially for those journalists and media houses who might be covering major elections for the first time.
Mr Tetteh said a workshop would be organised later, at which the document would be discussed before adoption.
He said it would then be published and circulated nation-wide and be the main resource material at workshops on election coverage.
The GJA President noted that elections were prime and vital instruments for the establishment of democracy because they sorted out the question of who should be entrusted with the lead management of the affairs of the state.
He said elections also constituted the source of legitimacy for political leadership in democratic dispensations and provided the citizenry with the fundamental form of political participation.
He said the GJA considered the revision of the guidelines in line with its commitment, among other aims and objectives, to promote high professional standards, integrity and media accountability.
Mr Tetteh stated that the association also regarded the document to be in consonance with the duty of members of the mass media to promote good governance and social cohesion through the effective coverage of elections.
He said the draft bill would be circulated among journalists, media houses and other stakeholder organisations nation-wide.
The Editor of the Ghanaian Times and immediate past President of the GJA, Ms Ajoa Yeboah-Afari, said the association decided to push for revisions to the guidelines because the media landscape had changed drastically since it was first introduced in 1996.
“There are so many media houses and so many people practising journalism who don’t have the experience,” she said.
Some key changes to the guidelines include increased emphasis on balanced campaign coverage.
Ms Yeboah-Afari said the guidelines urged media houses to offer equal coverage to all political campaigns.
She asked media houses to refrain from announcing the winner of an election if not all districts had counted their ballots.
“If somebody maligns another person, you make sure to give the maligned person the chance to react,” she added.
The revision was made possible by a GH¢15,000 donation from the French Embassy in Ghana.
THE Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) Group of Eminent Persons has presented the draft of the revised guidelines on election coverage to the executive of the association in Accra.
The President of the GJA, Mr Ransford Tetteh, who received the document, said the revision of the guidelines on election coverage had been carried out as part of efforts by the association to improve the quality of media coverage of elections in the country.
He said the GJA had found the guidelines a useful document which served as an essential reminder of how to cover elections, especially for those journalists and media houses who might be covering major elections for the first time.
Mr Tetteh said a workshop would be organised later, at which the document would be discussed before adoption.
He said it would then be published and circulated nation-wide and be the main resource material at workshops on election coverage.
The GJA President noted that elections were prime and vital instruments for the establishment of democracy because they sorted out the question of who should be entrusted with the lead management of the affairs of the state.
He said elections also constituted the source of legitimacy for political leadership in democratic dispensations and provided the citizenry with the fundamental form of political participation.
He said the GJA considered the revision of the guidelines in line with its commitment, among other aims and objectives, to promote high professional standards, integrity and media accountability.
Mr Tetteh stated that the association also regarded the document to be in consonance with the duty of members of the mass media to promote good governance and social cohesion through the effective coverage of elections.
He said the draft bill would be circulated among journalists, media houses and other stakeholder organisations nation-wide.
The Editor of the Ghanaian Times and immediate past President of the GJA, Ms Ajoa Yeboah-Afari, said the association decided to push for revisions to the guidelines because the media landscape had changed drastically since it was first introduced in 1996.
“There are so many media houses and so many people practising journalism who don’t have the experience,” she said.
Some key changes to the guidelines include increased emphasis on balanced campaign coverage.
Ms Yeboah-Afari said the guidelines urged media houses to offer equal coverage to all political campaigns.
She asked media houses to refrain from announcing the winner of an election if not all districts had counted their ballots.
“If somebody maligns another person, you make sure to give the maligned person the chance to react,” she added.
The revision was made possible by a GH¢15,000 donation from the French Embassy in Ghana.
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