|
|
Commentary
We invite commentaries from writers all over. The subject is about
Ghana and the world. We reserve the right to accept or reject
submissions, but we are not necessarily responsible for the opinions
expressed in articles we publish......MORE
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Press Release
From Nana Akufo-Addo
March 04, 2014
Finally we have a consensus on
Free SHS –Nana Akufo-Addo
Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, the 2012 Presidential candidate of
the main opposition party the NPP on Monday took a swipe on the
NDC and President Mahama when he responded to a question on
whether we can have a consensus as a country on a national
development planning agenda.
At a symposium organised by the Royal African Society and the
Centre of African Studies in London, Nana Akufo-Addo who was
speaking on the theme 'Ghana, 57 years after 1957: Recalibrating
the Course of Progress' he said “at last we have a consensus on
the free SHS policy.” Nana Addo was commenting on the dramatic
U-turn made by the government in accepting that Free SHS was
feasible and would roll it in to action in 2015.
Nana Akufo Addo in his speech traced Ghana’s chequered history
from the formation of UGCC in 1947 which set the course and the
road map for Ghana’s independence. He reiterated the efforts
that have been made to develop Ghana and how those efforts have
been rolled back by successive governments through bad
leadership and wrong policies. He laid the blame squarely on the
door of political leadership creating an environment for large
numbers of youth unemployment in the country and tied that blame
to "a failed educational system that does not provide them with
the requisite skills and a structurally rigid economy that
simply cannot generate the large pool of good jobs with good
pay."
He stressed on the need to redefine the structure of our economy
by transforming it by widening the manufacturing base, adding
value to our products rather than exporting them in the raw
form. He said “Ghana deserves a leadership that thinks of the
next generation and not the next election.” In a comment to the
high powered government delegation of ministers who came to
London for the event, including the Finance Minister Mr. Seth
Tekper, Nana Addo likened the free fall of Ghana’s cedi to the
declining fortunes of David Moyes and Manchester United.
The seminar which was very well patronised by both Ghanaians and
non-Ghanaians in London had as the main speakers Hon. Hanna
Tetteh, Ghanaian Minister for Foreign Affairs; Nana Akufo Addo,
2012 Presidential Candidate, New Patriotic Party; Dr Michael
Amoah, Research Associate, Centre of African Studies and Ms
Manji Cheto, Analyst / Vice President, Teneo Intelligence
Holdings.
In response to Nana Akufo-Addo’s challenge to the government to
do more to let Ghanaians know that public leadership is a
vehicle for the pursuit of the common good and not for
self-enrichment, Hon Hannah Tetteh blamed the economic
difficulties the government was facing to the high cost of
public sector salary payments. She blamed the Single Spine
Salary Structure, which according to her was wrongly calculated
by the Advisory Board. She also reiterated that the expectations
of Ghanaians on the oil revenue were not realistic as Ghana
produces a tiny amount of oil compared to Nigeria, Angola and
Equatorial Guinea. She also blamed Ghana’s reliance on the West
African Gas Pipeline for the fluctuating power supply in Ghana
but was very hopeful of the Bui Dam’s ability to improve on the
Ghana’s energy supply.
Dr. Michael Amoah, a Research Associate at The Centre of African
Studies, who set the tone for the evening’s seminar, made a
strong case against governments who have succeeded in destroying
the manufacturing and economic base of Ghana’s development. He
opined that the decision by governments to sell off the
industries that were created at the inception of Ghana’s economy
has been the cause of the economic downturn that the country is
facing. Painting a very gloomy picture of how Ghana is lagging
behind in the industrial revolution in Africa he quoted that “of
the first 500 businesses in Africa, the only businesses in Ghana
that appear are VRA, PBC (Produce Buying Company) and SSNIT.”
Ms Manji Cheto, an expert in Global Politics and an experienced
risk analyst on Africa who is currently the Vice President of
Teneo Intelligence, a London-based risk and communications
consultancy advising international companies on ways to manage
their operations in Africa, playing an expert and objective role
on the night advised the NDC government to pursue efficient
management of its resources and projects in order to restore
confidence in the troubled economy. Painting an economic picture
which, according to her would be a concern for any investor
wanting to invest in Ghana, Ms Cheto referred to the economic
indicators on Ghana and asserted that they were all pointing the
wrong directions. With rising inflation, growing deficit and a
rising national debt coupled with falling currency, she said it
would be very difficult for any investor looking to invest in
Ghana.
Ms Cheto, whose expertise is primarily focused on the political
economy of West Africa countries, in particular Nigeria and
Ghana and whose responsibilities include monitoring political
and economic developments in Key West African markets and
reporting to both colleagues and company clients, referred
copiously to the 2013-14 budget statement by the Finance
Minister and asked serious questions about the deficit financing
as well as the dangers of not meeting economic growth and
targets.
She also questioned the recent decision by the government to
accept and introduce free SHS in the recent State of the Nation
address. Quoting from the President’s own economic analysis in
the address, Ms Cheto questioned where the government was going
to find the funding for such an unplanned venture.
Office of Nana Akufo-Addo
March 04, 2014
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
THE SMELL OF IT:
CRISIS OF THE BUFFOON STATE
Commentary, March 3, Ghanadot - There was once,
in much of Africa, a pulsating sense of greater glory –
at Independence, the first liberation. And then there
was the riveting expectation of the Second Liberation,
the advent of constitutional democracy........More
,
,
|
|
|
Leave Africa alone
Commentary, March 04, Ghanadot - Outrage about
homosexuality is not the issue here. The rush to
normalize a behavior that is foreign to the culture is.
It took years for the West to accept gays. This time,
the priority should be for Africans to decide when to
accept the gay lifestyle without pressure from the
West. ...
..
More
|
|
|
|
Finally we have a consensus on
Free SHS –Nana Akufo-Addo
Commentary, March 04, Ghanadot
- At a symposium organised by the Royal African Society
and the Centre of African Studies in London, Nana
Akufo-Addo who was speaking on the theme 'Ghana, 57
years after 1957: Recalibrating the Course of Progress'
he said “at last we have a consensus on the free SHS
policy.” Nana Addo was commenting on the dramatic U-turn
made by the government in accepting that Free SHS was
feasible and would roll it in to action in 2015. .......More
|
|
|
IMF Mission Urges
Ghana Government to Address Short-Term Vulnerabilities
IMF, Feb 26, Ghanadot - A mission from the
International Monetary Fund (IMF), led by Christina
Daseking, visited Accra during February 12-25, 2014, to
conduct discussions for the 2014 Article IV
consultation. The mission met with Vice-President
Amissah-Arthur, Finance Minister Terkper, Bank of Ghana
Governor Wampah, other senior officials.... .....More
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
SPONSORSHIP AD HERE |
|
|
|
|
|