MAY 20

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DAILY HERITAGE MONDAY, MAY 20, 2019
05
Editorial
The law must punish impunity
IMPUNITY IS gradually becoming
a canker in our society, if it has not
already been so. For those unlettered
in law, there seem to be laxity in our
laws or prosecutions and trials
delayed beyond the limits the public
see as normal. There is also the
suspicion that some heavy hands are
manipulating the system.
There are cases the public had
expected their closures but are
persisting for one reason or the
other and only God knows when
they would be disposed of. These are
not only cases in court but also those
before the various regional houses
of chiefs, family heads and other
avenues we can think of.
People have come to certain
conclusions with regard to how
miscreants and certain renowned
personalities in our dear country tell
the whole nation, by their action and
inaction, that they have chosen to
break the law so the rest of us can
go to hell. And they do this with all
the impunity because they see even
worse cases that have not been
punished yet.
What is most disheartening is
when issues are politicised and the
powers that be are dared to carry out
all their threats or decisions.
Politicians tacitly tell the rest of us
that we also can do our own things.
Therefore, even foreigners try to
get some links with people
connected to the corridors of power
such as politicians, officers of the
security services and bigwigs in other
sectors of our economy who could
pull strings in favour of law breakers.
On last Thursday’s edition of
Adom FM’s ‘Fabewoso’ programme
hosted by Captain Smart, he spoke
on phone with one Fatau from
Tumu who was described as the
leader of a Forestry Taskforce and
he spoke about startling things
happening in the forestry sector. For
instance, he questioned how timber
or wood dealers in the country could
fell certain ‘forbidden’ trees and cart
the logs to the local market or for
export, while we have forest guards
in the forests, and the police and
timber taskforce on the roads.
Fatau even said some public
officials could order the sale of
Rosewood to Helen Huang, the
Chinese woman at the centre of the
Rosewood in transit to be exported
to China when the logs were
impounded.
For all we know, there could be
multiples of cases similar to Ms
Huang’s involving foreigners, and we
should not gloss over such other
cases of impunity involving other
foreigners such as black marketing
of currencies. Some of us do not
understand why foreigners would
have the boldness to stand in the
open at Circle, Tudu, Cowlane, in the
vicinity of the Kotoka International
Airport and else in Accra and other
places in the country to sell our cedi.
It is all because they have come to
learn that unlike elsewhere, laws in
Ghana do not bite. This must
change for impunity among both
natives and foreigners to give way for
sanity to reign in the land of our
birth.
NLA trains NABCO recruits
in E-kiosk technology
THE NATIONAL Lottery
Authority (NLA),
in collaboration with
the Nation Builders
Corps (NABCO) secretariat
and overseas experts, has offered
training to about 36 NABCO
recruits on the premises of NLA in
technology transfer and procedures
for assembling the solar-powered E-
Kiosks.
The NLA, due to its commitment
to the Local Content and
Local Participation Law of Ghana,
reached a consensus with the
NABCO secretariat to train the
trainers in the technology for assembling
the E-Kiosks. This was contained
in a released issued by the
head of the Public Relations Unit of
the NLA.
The training of the first batch of
20 trainers started on February 18,
2019 and ended on the February 21,
2019.
After the successful training of
the first batch, Mr Mohammed Yahaya
from Ada was adjudged the
overall best trainer.
Mr Tuffour Nicholas from Sunyani
and Doreen Alaliga Bawa from
Tamale were first and second runners-up
respectively.
The second batch of the training,
involving 16 trainers, also
started from February 25 to February
28, 2019.
After the successful training of
the second batch, Mr Azoteyinne
• The new E-kiosks
Joshua from Bolgatanga was adjudged
overall best trainer. Mr
Atanga Michael Atadena from Bolgatanga
and Mr Twum Maxwell
from Techiman were first and second
runners-up respectively.
The criteria used for the selection
of the best trainers by the training
officials were hard work,
commitment to duty, discipline, efficiency,
effectiveness, smartness and
attention to details.
The NABCO trainers were selected
from all the regions of Ghana
and would be useful in training
other trainees in the E-Kiosk Assembling
Technology Transfer in
their respective regions, cities, districts
and polling stations.
It means that the E-Kiosk assembling
technology transfer would
be decentralised across the country,
thereby creating jobs for the local
economy.
The NABCO trainers said they
were very excited about the training
program and showed demonstrable
competence to transfer the E-kiosk
technology to the yet-to-be recruited
trainees.
They also praised the managements
of the NLA and the
NABCO secretariat for such a wonderful
and pragmatic training initiative
and collaboration.
The training of the NABCO Recruits
on the assembling of the E-
Kiosks has helped to; ensure the
transfer of technology, promote the
exchange of technical competencies,
skills and knowledge acquisition,
create sustainable jobs for the graduates
under the NABCO Programme
and adhere to the Local Content
and Local Participation Law of
Ghana.
The E-Kiosk Concept which is a
Private Sector driven project would
equally partner the Ghana Revenue
Authority, Commercial Banks, One
District One Factory Secretariat,
MMDAS, Insurance Companies,
Ghana Post Company Limited
and other agencies to make revenue
generation and collection convenient
in the country.
The E-kiosk would help to offer
a wide range of services such as
Lottery Products, Banking Services,
Western Union, Moneygram, Mobile
Money Transactions, Payment
of Utility Bills, Payment of DSTV
and GO TV Fees, Courier Services
etc.
The National Lottery Authority
through Private Partnership is expected
to roll out about 40, 000
solar-powered E-kiosks across the
Country.