My Ghana Electronic Desk

Prof. Henrietta J.A.N Mensa-Bonsu (2nd left), Director, LECIAD, being congratulated by Prof Ernest Aryeetey, Vice-Chancellor of UG after the lecture. Picture: KWABENA ASAMOAH ADDAI By Edmund Smith-Asante  The Director of the Legon Centre for International Affairs Department (LECIAD), Professor Henrietta J. A. N. Mensa-Bonsu, says the formation of the African Standby Force (ASF) agreed by member countries of the African Union (AU) has delayed because of lack of commitment on the part of African countries.

By Edmund Smith-Asante The Vice-President, Mr Kwesi Amissah-Arthur, has called on Ghanaians to appreciate the threats posed by the Ebola virus to make the country deal with it effectively. He said, “there has been a lot of indifference and complacency on the part of a number of our population in confronting the threat the virus poses.

By Edmund Smith-Asante, ACCRA   The US Ambassador, Mr Gene Cretz being assisted to open the ACE facility. They are from the left, the ASSESS Chief of Party, Abdourahmane Ba, USAID Mission Director Alex Deprez and the KNUST Vice Chancellor Mr W Otoo Ellis A five year US$24 million project to promote creativity, innovation and learning developed by the United States Agency for International Aid (USAID), and its development partners was launched in Accra on Friday. The launch included the opening of a new Accra Centre of Excellence (ACE) facility, which is a training and conference centre that will stimulate networking, knowledge sharing and partnership building, to further strengthen development programmes and improve their outcomes across West Africa.

By Edmund Smith-Asante Ghana is one of 10 countries that have improved greatly on food sufficiency or decreased hunger, since 1990, says the 2014 Global Hunger Index (GHI) report. All the 10 countries were able to reduce their GHI score by 50 per cent or more, from 1990 to 2014, the report released on Monday indicates.

By Edmund Smith-Asante, ACCRA Akufo Addo (inset) addressing the teeming crowd at Lapaz on Thursday. Infectious, electrifying and spontaneous are words that best describe the mood at Lapaz in Accra yesterday when the New Patriotic Party (NPP) faithful gathered to show support to one of the party’s presidential aspirants, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo. The cheers and general merrymaking, amid dancing to song renditions in support of the aspirant, were reminiscent of political rallies in the build-up to elections in the country.

By Edmund Smith-Asante, ACCRA DCOP Rev David Nenyi Ampah-Bennin Two thousand policemen are on stand-by for deployment to the 275 polling stations designated for the New Patriotic Party’s (NPP’s) presidential primary on Saturday, October 18. The policemen will be deployed in at least groups of five for each polling centre on the election day, after a briefing on October 17.

By Edmund Smith-Asante, ACCRA   Mr Earl Gast The United States Aid agency (USAID) Assistant Administrator for Africa, Mr Earl Gast, has expressed optimism that the devastating effect of the Ebola crisis on Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone, would not negatively impact on investment in Africa. He said his belief stemmed from the fact that to date the disease had been prevented from spreading to other parts of the African continent, while there was no let on efforts to deal with the Ebola disease.

By Edmund Smith-Asante, ACCRA Motor traffic congestion is a regular feature on most busy streets Studies have found that staying in vehicular traffic can cause mental problems later in life as a result of high stress levels, the President of the Ghana Institution of Engineers (GhIE), Mr Magnus Lincoln Quarshie, has said. “Every day irritations such as waiting in traffic can build up over time and cause mental problems later in life, psychologists have found,” he said.

By Edmund Smith-Asante, ACCRA Mr Bagbin (standing in front row) delivering his acceptance speech in Parliament on Wednesday Former Minister of Water Resources, Works and Housing as well as Health in the Atta Mills-led government, Mr Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin, yesterday took back his seat in Parliament as the Majority Leader.

By Edmund Smith-Asante Rt Rev Samuel Mensah preaching the sermon A society that refuses to change its way of doing things is heading for death, the President of the Full Gospel Church International (FGCI), Rt. Rev Samuel N. Mensah, has stated. He explained that death was the loss of relevance, influence and impact for people who refuse to change their way of doing things in line with changing trends.

By Edmund Smith-Asante Osabarima Kwame Otu Darte III, Chief of Akwapim Mampong THE Chief of Akuapem Mampong, Osabarima Kwame Otu Darte III, has stated the late Tetteh Quarshie, who brought cocoa into the country, deserves a more befitting memorial.

By:  Edmund Smith-Asante & Yaa Ntiriwaa Adjei Wigs and gowns worn by lawyers and judges in court prevent many people from using the courts to seek redress because they are intimidating, the Executive Director of the Centre for Public Interest Law (CEPIL), Mr Augustine Niber, has said.

By Edmund Smith-Asante General Abdulsalami Abubakar and Former Prez John Kufuor with their wives after the visit Former President John Agyekum Kufuor yesterday received former Nigerian Head of State General Abdulsalami Abubakar at his home in Accra, when the former Nigerian leader paid a courtesy call on him.

By Edmund Smith-Asante The two former heads of state and their spouses interacting Nigeria 's former Head of State General Abdulsalami Abubakar yesterday paid a courtesy call on former President Jerry John Rawlings at his Ridge residence in Accra.

By Edmund Smith-Asante Dr Kofi Ablorh One of three persons who reported at the Nsawam Government Hospital with symptoms of the dreaded Ebola disease has had his blood screened by the Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research (NMIMR). The result, however, proved negative.

By Edmund Smith-Asante Dr Edward Omane-Boamah About 10,000 pieces of personal protective equipment (PPE) have been ordered by the government for frontline health workers who will be handling Ebola cases in the event of an outbreak of the disease.

By Edmund Smith-Asante Benjamin Tetteh (left), a reporter at Joy FM, interviewing Dr Victor Asare Bampoe, Deputy Minister of Health, after the workshop. With them is Mr Tony Goodman, PRO of the Ministry of Health The government has set aside GH¢35 million to contain an Ebola attack should it occur in the country, the Deputy Minister of Health, Dr Victor Asare Bampoe, has announced.

By Edmund Smith-Asante  Health experts have advised patrons of bush meat to stay off them for a while in order to prevent any Ebola infection.

By Edmund Smith-Asante The Accra Circuit Court Wednesday discharged the Chief Executive Officer of the Kessben Group of Companies, Mr Kwabena Kesse, who was standing trial for money laundering and forging documents.

By Edmund Smith-Asante & Charles Andoh, ACCRA THOUSANDS of workers took to the streets of Accra yesterday to protest the harsh economic conditions prevailing in the country. From the Obra Spot at the Kwame Nkrumah Circle through the Kojo Thompson Road in Adabraka to Accra Polytechnic and finally ending at the Black Star Square, the workers, who were joined along the way by market women, students and drivers, chanted, danced and blew mini vuvuzelas, to show their anger at the current economic conditions.

By Edmund Smith-Asante, ACCRA GHANA and Japan last Tuesday signed a grant agreement geared towards the training of young government officials in Japanese universities. The grant for Human Resource Development Scholarship 2014, also known as the JDS programme, amounts to US$1.2 million and will provide five young and promising Ghanaian government officials scholarships to obtain master’s degrees in public health and economics.

By Edmund Smith-Asante Eighteen young Ghanaians selected out of a total of 3,000, who submitted applications for the Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI) programme, are to participate in the programme.

By Edmund Smith-Asante, ACCRA FIFTY one African heads of state have been invited to the first ever US-Africa Leaders’ summit called at the instance of United States President Barack Obama, to broaden the partnership with countries across the continent. This includes Ghana’s President, Mr John Dramani Mahama and the AU Commission Chairman, Dr Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma.

By Edmund Smith-Asante President John Mahama launching the report In order to firm up the decisions and recommendations of the National Economic Forum held in Senchi from May 13 to 15 this year, the government has been urged to find ways to meet with political parties and major stakeholders who were not part of the forum.

By Edmund Smith-Asante, PARLIAMENT HOUSE A Deputy Minister-designate, last Friday, showed that one could aspire to great heights, no matter where he or she started from. The nominee of President John Dramani Mahama for the post of Deputy Minister of Communications, Mr Edward Ato Sarpong, during his vetting last Friday, told the Appointments Committee of Parliament that he started his working life as a messenger.

By Edmund Smith-Asante Dr Kofi Konadu Apraku, Mr Alan Kyerematen and Ms Hanna Tetteh Three former Trade Ministers — Dr Kofi Konadu Apraku, Mr Alan Kyerematen and Ms Hanna Tetteh — yesterday gave recommendations that they said could reverse the country’s continued trade deficit.

By Edmund Smith-Asante The Minister of Trade and Industry, Mr Haruna Iddrisu, has challenged commercial banks in the country to accept the risk to do export financing. “You are not doing enough – the Ghanaian financial institutions,” he said, adding that the banks were not bold and courageous enough to do export financing.

By Edmund Smith-Asante, PARLIAMENT HOUSE Mrs Mona Helen Quartey at the Vetting The President’s nominee for the Deputy Minister of Finance portfolio, Mrs Mona Helen Kabuki Quartey, last Friday showed that she meant business when she renounced her United States citizenship so as to take up the appointment.

By Edmund Smith-Asante, PARLIAMENT HOUSE A former Deputy Chief of Staff during President John Evans Atta Mills’s tenure (2009-2013), Mr Alexander Percival Segbefia, has stressed that he did not apply for British citizenship at any time during his sojourn in the UK, although he could have done that if he so wished.

By Edmund Smith-Asante, PARLIAMENT HOUSE Members of Parliament (MPs) have raised an issue about their exclusion from a list of state officials who will receive courtesies from Ghana’s High Commission in the UK, should they travel there on official duties.

By Edmund Smith-Asante, PARLIAMENT HOUSE As part of its consultation process with stakeholders to fine-tune the Ghana Shared Growth and Development Agenda (GSGDA) II for 2014 to 2017, the National Development Planning Commission (NDPC) on Tuesday met with the joint Committee on Finance and Poverty Reduction Strategy in Parliament.

By Edmund Smith-Asante, PARLIAMENT HOUSE Mr Emmanuel Kwadwo Agyekum There was a baptism of fire for the Deputy Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, Mr Emmanuel Kwadwo Agyekum, when he stood in for the substantive minister to answer questions for the ministry last Tuesday. Questions flew from both sides of the House with the Minority especially asking the deputy minister a flurry of queries.

By Edmund Smith-Asante Benin Speaker of Parliament Prof Nago The Speaker of the National Assembly of Benin, Professor Mathurin Coffi Nago, has advocated that West African parliaments should hold consultations among themselves in order to be able to make contributions to the democratic process and socio-economic integration in the sub-region.

By Edmund Smith-Asante Despite several interventions that have been made by the government to stem corruption, it persists in the country, Mr Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin, the Member of Parliament (MP) for Nadowli/Kaleo, has admitted in Parliament. “In spite of moral crusades, executive instruments and the declaration of zero tolerance for corruption, corruption remains a serious issue in the country,” he said.

By Edmund Smith-Asante The Executive Director of the Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA), Prof. Kwame Karikari, has stated that one of the gaps in Ghana’s democracy is its weakness at the grassroots level.

By Edmund Smith-Asante A Deputy chief manager representing the director of Banking at the Bank of Ghana (BoG) on Wednesday told the Judgement Debt Commission that there was no  “special judgement debt account” at the BoG.

By Edmund Smith-Asante Ghana's inability to develop at the pace the countries with which it gained independence are developing has been blamed on outdated portions of its 1992 Constitution.

By Edmund Smith-Asante Dr Yao Graham (left) in a chat with the Country Director of the UNDP, Mr Dominic Sam (middle), and Dr Joseph Atta-Mensah after the opening of the colloquium. An official of the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA), Mr Joseph Atta-Mensah, has stressed the need for cohesion between the African Union (AU) and all regional blocs to make integration possible.

By Edmund Smith-Asante Two speakers at a three-day colloquium on Africa’s economic integration in Accra have expressed their optimism that the continent can achieve its desire of using a common currency but it is dependent on several factors.

By Edmund Smith-Asante Deputy Commissioner, Large Tax Office (LTO), Mr Kaleo Rogation Adams with GRA lawyer A construction company, Carl Plotner (CP), which later became Construction Pioneers (CP), did not fulfil any of its tax obligations to the country from 1991 to 2001.

By Edmund Smith-Asante The National Chairman of the Association of Road Contractors (ASROC) Ghana, Mr Joseph Ebo Hewton, says the businesses of many contractors are collapsing, while others have abandoned their sites or are working at a slow pace, as a result of the delay in payment for works executed for as long as 12 to 16 months.

By Edmund Smith-Asante A joint military and civilian campaign on how to deal with the scourge of malaria in West Africa opened in Accra on May 13.

By Edmund Smith-Asante A visit to the dentist is not what many people like to do, unless they have a dental problem that needs to be solved.

By Edmund Smith-Asante African leaders have taken the flak for their delay in responding appropriately to the abduction of the 276 schoolgirls by Islamic insurgents, Boko Haram, on April 14, 2014. Specifically, Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan has been accused of waiting for three weeks before speaking about the abduction.

By Edmund Smith-Asante Handwritten passports will no more be valid for travel from November 2015. This is due to a directive from the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) to all member countries to phase them out by the said date. Member countries have therefore begun taking steps to ensure those passports are not used by their citizens by the November 2015 deadline.

By Edmund Smith-Asante There was deafening silence around the Ablekuma Nsumfa area, which is usually agog with live praise music accompanied by instruments from churches in the area on Sunday morning. This was the situation except for some muted congregational responses and sporadic clapping.

By Edmund Smith-Asante , BACK FROM BRUSSELS Some of the Heads of State at the Summit The European Union (EU) has pledged over €28 billion to Africa in the next six years (2014 – 2020), in addition to bilateral cooperation between EU member states and African countries. This figure would go into the implementation of priorities identified by both the EU and African states during the 4 th EU-Africa summit held from April 2 to April 3, 2014 in Brussels, Belgium, under the theme “Investing in People, Prosperity and Peace”.

BY EDMUND SMITH-ASANTE The Chairperson of the African Union Commission, Mrs Nkosazana Clarice Dlamini Zuma, has urged Europe to partner Africa in an industrialisation drive so that it can  contribute more meaningfully to the world’s economy. Africa, she said, was also in dire need of skills development because of its growing young population who needed training in order to contribute to the development of Africa and Europe. “With a growing and young population, Africa needs a skilled revolution and to scale up investments requires research technology and innovation.” Courting Europe in her address at the 4th EU-Africa Summit in Brussels, Mrs Dlamini Zuma said while Africa’s plan of industrialisation – the African Industrial Development Plan (AIDP) – looked at agriculture as one of the drivers of industrialisation, a partnership with Europe would result in a win, win for everyone. “So we need to look at growing and also processing our agricultural products. But...

BY EDMUND SMITH-ASANTE President John Dramani Mahama has indicated that a National Cyber Security Strategy to help deal with the threats of Information and Communications Technology (ICT) will soon be presented to the Cabinet. He said Ghana’s huge investment in ICT would only yield dividends if people were able to trust transactions conducted in cyber space, hence the need for the strategy. The President gave the indication in a statement read on his behalf by the National Security Advisor, Mr William Aboah, at the launch of a collaboration between the Government of Ghana (GoG) and the Commonwealth Cybercrime Initiative (CCI). Investment in ICT Ghana, with support from the World Bank and others, had invested hugely in its ICT infrastructure, President Mahama said, and noted that ICT was the foundation for transformational, social and economic development. It also had the potential to provide farmers with access to capital and market information,...