Friday, 27th May, 2022

Page 2

DAILY ANALYST Friday, 27th May, 2022

Global News

A

UK-EU trade war

would be "shocking"

and "unnecessary",

the Irish Prime Minister

Micheál Martin

has said.

He called on the UK government

to "get into the tunnel and

negotiate" over changes to the

post-Brexit trade arrangements

for Northern Ireland.

The Taoiseach told the BBC

Eleven newborn babies

have died in a hospital

fire in the western city

of Tivaouane in Senegal,

the country's president

has said.

The fire at Mame Abdou Aziz

Sy Dabakh Hospital was in the

maternity department, President

Macky Sall tweeted.

Initial reports suggest the fire

was caused by a short circuit, according

to Senegalese politicians.

Three babies were saved from

the fire, said the city's mayor,

Demba Diop Sy.

The fire spread very quickly

and emergency services were

still at the scene, Mr Sy told local

media.

The hospital had been newly

inaugurated, according to AFP,

citing local media reports.

No British official

forced Nazanin

Zaghari-Ratcliffe to

sign a false confession,

the UK government

has said.

In a statement in the Commons,

Foreign Office minister

Amanda Milling said the UK official

simply passed on the Iranian

authorities' request.

"Iran made clear they would

not allow her to leave Tehran

airport unless Nazanin signed a

document," she said.

Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffe revealed

to the BBC on Monday a UK official

was present when she signed

the statement.

Her lawyers have accused the

UK of "apparent complicity" in

the false confession.

The mother-of-one was

detained in Iran for six years

accused of plotting to topple the

government. She was reunited

with her husband and sevenyear-old

daughter in the UK after

being released in March.

of rising inflation the EU was

pondering such a move, the Irish

prime minister said it was only

the UK making threats.

"The only unilateral move

that has been made here has

been by the United Kingdom

government, which has threatened

to tear up an international

deal signed with the European

Union," he said.

"That's the only threat here.

And that's what's happened."

The taoiseach said a solution

between the parties was "doable"

and that French President

Emmanuel Macron and German

Chancellor Olaf Scholz "don't

want minute checks on everything

going into Northern Ireland

- they want to resolve this".

At the World Economic Forum

some of the world's biggest multhat

Ireland and the European

Union "do not want a trade war"

with the UK.

The government last week

announced plans to override key

parts of the Brexit deal within

weeks.

Boris Johnson's government

agreed the trade deal with the

EU in 2019 after the UK voted to

leave the bloc.

In the event of the UK

unilaterally abandoning agreed

elements of the deal that create

barriers on goods trading between

Great Britain and Northern

Ireland, the EU has the power

to suspend parts of the entire

post-Brexit trade deal.

When asked at the World

Economic Forum in Davos

whether the EU was drawing up

plans to apply tariffs to politically

sensitive UK exports, Mr Martin

declined to "get into the detail of

anything like that, because hopefully,

that's something we don't

ever have to contemplate".

"For now I'm simply saying,

and I've been consistently saying

get down there, get into the

tunnel, UK government and EU,

negotiate and get the technocrats

in there," he added.

When asked why at this time

Senegal hospital fire: Eleven

newborn babies die in Tivaouane

"To their mothers and their

families, I express my deepest

sympathy," President Sall wrote

in a tweet.

"I heard the news of the

fire last night, but I did not tell

my daughter. I waited until the

morning to inform her," said Ndeye

Absa Gueye, who later found

out her grandchild was among

the dead.

"This hurts all of Senegal,"

Tivaouane resident Ousmane

Kane told the Reuters news

agency.

"This situation is very unfortunate

and extremely painful,"

Health Minister Abdoulaye Diouf

Sarr said from Geneva, where he

was attending a World Health

Organization meeting.

He said an investigation

was under way and he would be

Fellow British-Iranian

national Anoosheh Ashoori,

detained since 2017 on spying

charges, was released at the

same time.

Speaking to the BBC's Emma

Barnett on Woman's Hour, Mrs

Zaghari-Ratcliffe questioned

why the UK did not challenge

Iran over forcing her to admit to

crimes she did not commit as a

condition of her release.

She described being taken

away by Iranian Revolutionary

Guards without seeing her

parents and "made to sign the

forced confession at the airport

in the presence of the British

government".

She added that she was told

she would not be allowed to

get on the plane back to the UK

without signing the confession

'We don't want UK-EU

trade war' -Irish PM

cutting his trip short to return to

Senegal immediately.

The incident has sparked a

wave of indignation on social media

over the state of the country's

healthcare provision.

Opposition MP Mamadou

Lamine Diallo criticised the government,

tweeting: "More babies

burned in a public hospital… This

is unacceptable".

Rights group Amnesty

International has urged the

government to create an "independent

commission of inquiry

to determine responsibility and

punish the culprits, no matter

the level they are at in the state

apparatus," country director Seydi

Gassama said in a tweet.

Amnesty called for all of

Senegal's neo-natal wards to be

inspected after a similar incident

and said Iranian officials filmed

the whole process.

Speaking in Parliament, Ms

Milling told MPs: "A UK official

was present to help facilitate

both Nazanin and Anoosheh

Ashoori's departure, and passed

on the message from the IRGC

(Islamic Revolutionary Guard

Corps) that she needed to sign a

confession.

"Given the situation Iran

put Nazanin in at the airport,

she took the decision to sign the

document. No UK official forced

Nazanin to do so."

Describing Iran's treatment

of Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffe as

"horrendous", Ms Milling said

Iran had a practice of insisting

detainees sign documents before

their release.

"Nothing about the cruel

No UK official forced Nazanin

to sign confession - minister

occurred in the northern town of

Linguère last year.

Four newborn babies were

killed there after a fire broke out

at a hospital's maternity ward.

At the time, the mayor said there

was an electrical fault in the air

conditioning unit of the maternitreatment

by Iran of detainees

can be described as acceptable,

including at the point of release,"

she added.

On Monday it was revealed

Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffe's lawyers

had written to Foreign Secretary

Liz Truss claiming the UK's lead

negotiator told her a confession

would have no value and she

needed to sign the document if

she wanted to get on the plane.

Human rights organisation

Redress, acting on behalf of Mrs

Zaghari-Ratcliffe, said the UK's

"apparent complicity" in the

false confession left her "deeply

distressed".

In a letter, Redress wrote:

"Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffe had

resisted intense pressure to

make a false confession on many

occasions during interrogations

tinational companies have told

the BBC they are already seeking

reassurances over the possibility

of a trade war between the UK

and the EU.

Earlier this week the Polish

prime minister Mateusz Morawiecki

said "only Putin" would be

happy with a disagreement between

the EU and UK at this time,

adding he was trying to "calm

down the situation".

The UK's Foreign Secretary Liz

Truss was in Northern Ireland on

Tuesday, stressing that her priority

was a negotiated agreement.

However, she has outlined

plans to table legislation which

would override key parts of the

Brexit Northern Ireland deal

within weeks.

ty ward.

Wednesday's tragedy also

follows a national outcry over the

death of a woman in labour, Astou

Sokhna, who died while reportedly

begging for a Caesarean during

her 20-hour labour ordeal. Her

unborn child also died.

and during her eight-and-a half

months in solitary confinement.

"The UK's actions would have

appeared to Iran as the UK agreeing

to play by its rules.

"This emboldens Iran to continue

its abuse in other cases."

Tulip Siddiq, MP for Hampstead

and Kilburn who campaigned

for her constituent's

release, said: "It was only when

a UK official told her that she

had to sign it if she was going to

board the plane that was waiting

to take her home, that she finally

caved and gave Iran what they

wanted.

"Nazanin returned home but

the toll this took on my constituent

after six years of detention is

unimaginable and unacceptable

and I do not accept what the

minister is saying, that no-one

forced her."

She also asked whether the

prime minister or foreign secretary

authorised UK officials to

advise Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffe to

sign the false confession.

DAILY ANALYST

Friday, 27th May, 2022 Page 3

Frontpage Stories

Parliament is broke!

The current 8th

Parliament of the

Fourth Republic is

broke and does not

have the wherewithal

to enable it to function effectively

and efficiently, the Speaker

of Parliament, Alban Sumani

Kingsford Bagbin, has disclosed.

According to him, the

situation was having dire

financial constraints on

Parliament’s work.

The Speaker who made

the disclosure on the floor of

Parliament yesterday, accused the

Minister of Finance, Ken Ofori

Atta, of starving the House of

much-needed funds.

Mr. Bagbin said because of

the current situation he has

stopped approving financial

commitments of the house.

“It is not because I like

declining your requests. It

is because we don’t have the

wherewithal to fund those

operations,” he noted.

He indicated that Parliament

deserved more respect than it

was currently getting.

“The Ministry of Finance

should not treat Parliament like a

ministry or NGO,” he said.

“This is an arm of

government. We are not part of

the MMDAs. We have even been

written to, to reduce our budget

in some cases by 50 percent,” he

complained.

Furthermore, he noted that

he would take responsibility for

these financial constraints.

“If they want Parliament to

run aground, they should let us

know. The Speaker is not ready

and prepared to be blamed for the

inability to get Parliament going

on just because we are not getting

the necessary funding.”

COA Mixture has been

selected to be part of

herbal medicines in

the essential medicines

list by the Ministry

of Health to be administered

in mainstream health delivery

services across the various health

facilities in Ghana.

This was announced by

the Deputy Minister of Health,

Mr.Mahama Asei Seini while

speaking on behalf of the

Minister of Health, Mr. Kwaku

Agyeman Manu at the re-launch

of COA Mixture.

The COA Research and

Manufacturing Company Limited

on Wednesday, May 25, 2022, relaunched

COA Mixture, herbal

medicine that supports the

general wellbeing of people.

The COA Mixture is a wellresearched

plant medicine that

is scientifically developed for

general wellbeing and has also

been approved by the Food and

Drugs Authority (FDA).

The re-launched COA

Mixture is an upgrade in drug

development and after going

through the processes from the

FDA, it has been upgraded from

a food supplement to herbal

medicine for general wellbeing.

Speaking at the event,

the Health Minister said the

government is committed

to creating an enabling

environment so that plant

COA Mixture to be administered in

mainstream health delivery services

medicine can compete favourably

with orthodox medicine.” …

Thereby contributing to the

Government’s vision of Universal

Health Coverage (UHC) and a

healthy population which makes

it possible and eventually to

achieve Sustainable Development

Goal (SDG) Three (3) by 2030 is

“Achieving Health for All at all

Ages,” he said.

He continued, “It is based on

this that His Excellency Nana

Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, the

President of the Republic of

Ghana tasked and ordered the

Technical Oversight Committee

of the Ghana AIDS Commission to

conduct a scientific independent

evaluation on COA products in

response to an appeal from the

Chief Executive Officer of COA-

RMCL for the government to

support studies of their products

COA FS then, now COA Mixture

and COA-72, which are claimed to

be a potential cure for HIV.”

Mr. Mahama Asei Seini

noted that the Committee had

membership representations

from the Food and Drugs

Authority, Ghana Standards

Authority, Directorate of

Traditional and Alternate

Medicine of Ministry of Health,

Centre for Plant Medicine

Research, School of Biological

Sciences, University of Ghana,

Noguchi Memorial Institute of

Medical Research, Traditional

Medicine Practice Council, Ghana

AIDS Commission and COA

Research and Manufacturing

Company Limited.

According to him, since

September 2019, the committee,

met four times to review and

analyze documents and digital

materials submitted by COA-

RMCL on its products, adding

that these data and studies

were extensively deliberated

upon considering the local

context and global practices in

drug development practices by

members of the Committee.

“The Committee has

completed its task and has duly

submitted its report. To this end,

a process to incorporate herbal

medicine into Mainstream health

delivery in our various health

facilities has been implemented.

Now patients can opt for herbal

Medicine care when they visit

our various hospitals,” He said.

He stressed that” Also,

selected herbal medicines have

been included in the Essential

Medicines List by the Ministry of

Health. I am

aware engagements are

ongoing at the various levels with

stakeholders in order to ensure

the successful implementation

of this policy which began in

1988. COA Mixture is part of

the medicines that have been

selected.”

Mr. Mahama Asei Seini said,

“This means that COA Mixture

can now be prescribed in the

various health facilities across

the country.”

He added that” Ghana cannot

do without herbal medicine. The

Ministry of Health is counting

on companies like yours to

help promote the well-being of

our people. Do not rest on your

oars until Ghana becomes the

ultimate choice of plant medicine

in Africa.”

Agyapa deal will fail!

The Member of

Parliament for Builsa

South, Dr. Clement

Apaak, has warned

that the Minority in

Parliament will not fall for the

tricks and abject disregard for

the rule of law by the governing

New Patriotic Party in rekindled

attempt to pass the Agyapa deal.

According to him, the Akufo-

Addo administration should stop

brooding over what he termed

an “illegality” which would

require a two-thirds majority in

Parliament to pass.

He explained that the same

way the obnoxious E-Levy was

rejected by his side, but for the

tricks and foul play of the ruling

party, it fraudulently passed it

with the help of its majority in

Parliament.

Dr. Apaak was happy that

the Agyapa royalty deal would

require a two-thirds majority of

members of Parliament to ensure

its passage.

"With 137 MPs apiece, they

should not think they can

swindle the minority to get it

passed.

…Even though they are

intentionally doing everything

possible through the apex court

to reduce our numbers with the

Assin North MP's case but with

the required two-thirds majority,

the Agyapa deal will not go

through,” he said.

Though the minority rejected

the e-levy, the majority used their

numbers to bulldoze their way

through by passing it.

"As we have returned from

recess, it is our duty to ensure

that the health and well-being of

Ghanaians are ensured and that

is what we're determined and

committed to, anything short of

that which would not inure to the

benefit of Ghanaians, we're not

for it", he added.

He assured that the reason for

which their constituents brought

them to Parliament would surely

be safeguarded.

"We will ensure that

Ghanaians are not shortchanged

through Agyapa or whatever," he

stressed.

He said quite the same way

the NDC rejected the e-levy on

good grounds, Agyapa will, in like

manner, be rejected in all shapes

and forms".

Page 4


Criminals take

over Nsakina

High Tension

Sleuth investigations conducted by DAILY Analyst

have unfolded that the Nsakina High Tension

area in the Ga West Municipal Assembly (GWMA)

where recently two Okada riders were killed in

cold blood is a safe haven for hardened criminals

and their nefarious activities.

Our findings indicated that that area has gained notoriety

for violent crimes which continue to surge with each

passing day.

The paper gathered that hardened criminals including

robbers, peddlers of marijuana and chain smokers have

been operating from a hideout in the area for some time

now.

And these criminals, our investigations established,

have been using this hideout (which is an uncompleted

building surrounded by bushes) to carry out their wicked

activities.

Some of their criminal activities include forcibly seizing

motorcycles of Okada riders after hiring them, robbing

innocent residents at gun-point, especially at dawn and

late in the night, and raping innocent young girls.

The modus operandi of the criminals includes hiring

Okada riders and robbing them of their sales and motorcycles,

luring young girls, and raping them at their hideout

among others.

In the wake of these criminal activities, DAILY Analyst

gathered that residents in the Nsakina High Tension area

dread using that spot, especially during the night or at

dawn for fear of being attacked.

Some residents who corroborated our investigations

said these hardened criminals including armed robbers

carry out their activities with impunity and sometimes in

the full glare of the public.

According to them, the police in Nsakina are not adequately

resourced to deal with these hardened criminals

who are always quick to flee their hideout at the slightest

wind of a police swoop.

“For the police in Nsakina, I must admit that they have

completely been overwhelmed by these criminals who

sometimes act like they control the whole area,” a resident,

Yaw Gyamfi, told this paper.

They, therefore, called on the police administration to -

as a matter of urgency – resource the police in Nsakina and

make them mobile to effectively deal with crimes in the

Nsakina.

“We want a permanent fix to these gangsters and their

associated menaces to Nsakina. And we want to use this

medium to plead with the Inspector General of Police (IGP)

to if possible beef up the police in Nsakina so they can

tackle these criminals head-on,” Agya Mensah, opinion

leaders in Nsakina pleaded.

Concerned drivers

hit the streets June 1

Story: Freeman

Koryekpor Awlesu

The Concerned Drivers

Association of Ghana

has set June 1, 2022,

to embark on a naked

demonstration on the

streets of Accra.

The planned demonstration

by the drivers will enable them

to register their displeasure

against the government over

what they have described as

“ever-increasing prices of petroleum

products.”

According to them, they will

block major roads during that

demonstration.

Addressing a crowded press

conference in Accra yesterday,

the group’s National Public Relations

Officer, Mr. David Agboado,

explained that this action has

become necessary owing to the

fact that their transport business

was collapsing.

He attributed the collapse of

their business to the rampant

increment of fuel, lubricants,

and spare parts.

He said many of their drivers

Founder and Chief Executive

Officer (CEO) of

the COA Research and

Manufacturing Company

says his outfit is

close to a research breakthrough

in plant medicine from which

the country could realise not less

than $32 billion annually.

Prof Samuel Ato Duncan

added that funds generated from

the medicine would bring some

economic relief to the country

when it turns out successful.

Speaking at the re-launch of

the COA Mixture on Wednesday,

May 25, he added that the medicine

can also offer treatment to

some diseases the world is still

struggling to treat.

“This is what I want to

achieve for mother Ghana as part

of my Global Peace Mission Project,”

Prof Duncan explained.

COA Mixture products

He noted that the re-launched

COA Mixture is an upgrade in

drug development and after

going through processes at the

Food and Drugs Authority (FDA),

it has been upgraded from a food

supplement to a herbal medicine

for general wellbeing.

However, “it is not an HIV and

AIDS drug. COA Mixture is for

healthy living; it is a 100 per cent

natural product from plants and

without any artificial preservatives.

“COA Mixture is one of the

best medicines the world has

ever produced because of the numerous

evidence-based testimonies

from users.”

Need for collaboration

Prof Samuel Duncan called on

have become jobless because

they cannot meet their daily

sales targets to their car owners,

hence their cars have been taken

from them by their owners.

They pointed out that the

current economic hardship in

the country was breeding confusion

between them and their

clients, especially when there is

an increment in fares.

“This time around, we are

going naked to compel the government

to act!” he stated.

Comparing the prices of fuel

government, research institutions

and investors to collaborate

with the Company in order to

make its visions achievable.

Although the Company has

acquired 1,000 acres of land to

cultivate raw materials in the

Ashanti Region, he said they

would need an additional 9,000

acres of lands to produce COA

products that would meet international

market demands.

A cash donation of ¢100,000

was made to the Ghana Federation

of Traditional Medicine

Practitioners Associations

(GHAFTRAM) to help members

go through some evaluation and

registration processes for the certification

of their medicines.

Prof Ato Duncan also appointed

the Asantehene, Otumfuo

Osei Tutu II to be the Patron of

the COA Mixture because of his

support for the product.

Pharmaceutical sector

The Trade and Industry Minister,

Alan Kyerematen, revealed

that government is investing in

in Ghana to her neighbours, Mr.

Agboado asserted: “When you go

to Burkina Faso, their fuel price

is 7.81; when you go to Togo, it’s

7.62; when you go to Ivory Coast,

it’s 8.62”.

“Why are they also not facing

the same thing that we are facing?”

he quizzed.

"We say enough is enough!

Come 1 June 2022, we are registering

our displeasure with a

naked demonstration," he said.

Writer's email koryekporfreeman@yahoo.com

Ghana can generate $32bn

annually through plant medicine

the pharmaceutical sector in the

quest to diversify the economy.

“For the country to depend on

only two commodities — cocoa

and gold — for over 100 years is

clearly not sustainable. So we

need to diversify our economy.

“The country produces only

about 30 per cent of our required

medicines, so we import almost

70 per cent of our required drugs,

which is unacceptable,” he posited

Ṫhe Trade Minister also used

the opportunity to urge manufacturers

to follow laid down protocols

to build public confidence

and get their products accepted.

“If you want to become

like COA, you have to be able to

subject your products to various

processes, including therapeutic

analysis.

“If you want to do mass

production that will earn you

income, then you need to expose

your processes to technology,” he

stressed.

DAILY ANALYST


Perspective

How is Ghana

performing towards

the attainment of

global sustainable

energy goals?

The Sustainable

Development Goals

(SDGs), also known

as the Global Goals,

were adopted by the

United Nations in 2015 as a

universal call to action to end

poverty, protect the planet, and

ensure that by 2030 all people

enjoy peace and prosperity.

The Global Goals are a

collection of 17 interlinked

global goals designed to be a

“blueprint to achieve a better

and more sustainable future

for all”.

These 17 SDGs are integrated

as development partners

recognize that action in one

area will affect outcomes in

others and that development

must balance social, economic

and environmental sustainability.

Considerable progress has

been made on the availability

of internationally comparable

data on the SDGs. The number

of indicators included in the

global SDG database increased

from 115 in 2016 to around 160

in 2019 and 211 in 2021. The advancements

in data availability

have had a direct impact on

people’s lives.

Seven years into the 2030

Agenda for Sustainable Development,

we are not where we

need to be, and we are faced

with the existential threat of

climate change.

At the current rate of investment,

it will be impossible

to achieve the SDGs by 2030.

This is bad for people, bad for

society, bad for the environment,

and bad for business.

The issue of Covid-19 and its

impact on the global financial

system, economic outlook, the

devastation caused by millions

of deaths tore apart the world

human race and development

order.

Many countries have committed

to prioritizing progress,

but these have all been watershed

into the abyss.

In the face of this reality,

this article seeks to highlight

how Ghana is performing

towards the attainment of sustainable

energy by 2030?

Currently, the electricity

generation is dominated by

thermal plants, which account

for 63.48% of total installed

capacity. Hydropower plants

which, used to be the main

source of electricity in the

country now account for about

36% of the total installed capacity.

Peak electricity demand for

2019 was 2804 MW, well under

Ghana’s total installed capacity

of 5,172 MW. Installed capacity

is dominated by thermal (68%),

followed by hydro (31%), and

marginal renewables (0.82%)

as culled from the 2019 data.

Solar energy is indisputably

one of the most viable and

clean energy sources humanity

has ever discovered.

Issues such as climate

change and other economic

dynamics have not just made

it a tangible option but also a

momentous resort for energy

security needs. Evidentially,

the solar sector has a proven

track record of fast-expanding

technology making it capable

of both domestic and industrial

energy needs.

Ghana has had its first

share of solar photovoltaic

technology on the African

continent but at a steady and

staggering pace. Fundamental

issues such as poor Public-

Private Partnerships (PPP), inadequate

legislation and policy

frameworks, socio-cultural

factors, and political climate

have been identified by various

researchers as hindrances to

the blow-up of solar energy in

Ghana unfortunately.

Ghana has not been able to

tap deeply into the areas of renewable

energy such as wind

energy, wave energy, biomass

and others that could help the

country not to fully depend on

traditional sources of producing

power for it needs which is

a deep course of concern.

Government should work

on policies that should enhance

best practices, take

advantage of synergy with the

advanced countries in exploiting

the knowledge scenarios

with energy.

Nuclear energy which,

originates from the splitting

of uranium atoms and used

to generates heat to produce

steam which, is used by a

turbine generator to generate

electricity. Because nuclear

power plants do not burn fuel,

they do not produce greenhouse

gas emissions.

Over the past 60 years,

Ghana is yet to complete its

nuclear programs because of

the capital needed for this

huge project.

Due to the fear and skeptics

with nuclear, the perception

alone makes it quite troubling

for nuclear energy production

in Ghana. It has been reported

that, the country stands

the chance of striking uranium

deposits in commercial

quantities since there is an

association between gold and

uranium.

A study of gold tailings at

the Nuclear Research Reactor

at Kwabenya has revealed

traces of uranium in pits

in gold-mining areas in the

country and therefore put the

country at a good advantage

for possible nuclear energy

programs in Ghana.

Ghana had long been

dependent on hydro energy

for its base load options but

the government’s economic

growth policies to be achieved,

there is the need for a stable

and reliable energy, and that

solution is nuclear energy to

ensure security, reliability,

sustainability and affordable

tariffs.

However, the cost of

nuclear power production coupled

with Ghana not having

discovered uranium yet makes

nuclear energy quite a remote

issue.

The government should

quickly tap into available and

ready alternative sources such

as the wave energy from the

sea, wind energy and biofuels

in the interim to solve our energy

challenges. Wave energy

is a clean form of renewable

energy from oceans and seas

around the globe. Government

should form a research

team to explore the 464.5km

coastline from Aflao to Axim

for feasibility studies on the

ocean waves energy which

has the potential of additional

alternative source of energy

for the country.

Many countries such as

Australia, China, Denmark,

Italy, Korea, Portugal, Spain,

the United Kingdom, US and

several others are currently

developing wave energy. Some

main areas for wave farms are

Portugal, the United Kingdom,

Australia, and the United

States. Portugal has the very

first wave farm, the Aguçadoura

Wave Farm which is about 3

miles offshore, north of Porto,

and was designed to use 3 Pelamis

wave energy converters.

Chile is the country with

the highest wave energy

potential in the world, according

to a British engineering

consultant Baird & Associates.

According to company

officials, wave energy along

Chile’s coast can satisfy up

to 24 percent of the country’s

energy demand in summer

and 26 percent in winter. With

total installed tidal power capacity

of 511MW, South Korea

is leading the way globally,

according to the information

provided by National Energy

Board of Canada. Currently,

about 30 tidal and 45 wave

energy companies are at an

advanced stage of technological

development.

One recent report said that

ocean energy could satisfy

10 to 15 percent of European

Union power demand by 2050,

enough to serve some 115 million

homes.

Germany is a world leader

in renewable energy and in the

first half of 2018 it produced

enough electricity to power every

household in the country

for a year. The country has also

set an ambitious target to get

65% of their electricity from

renewables by 2030.

South Africa has a significant

wave energy resource

along the southwest coast that

could be exploited as a source

of renewable energy.

Tidal energy is a form of

ocean energy which is yet to

be exploited in South Africa

and it can be considered as an

alternative energy resource

or renewable energy sources.

Currently coal is by far the

major energy source for South

Africa, comprising around

80 percent of the country’s

energy mix.

However, according to the

2019 Integrated Resource Plan

(IRP), 24,100 MW of conventional

thermal power sources,

specifically coal, are likely to

be decommissioned within the

next 10-30 years.

South Africa’s nearly 3,000

km of coastline is the landing

site for waves that are ideal for

electricity generation using

sea-wave technology. The government

of South Africa has

expressed the desire to take

advantage of their coastline to

achieve their alternative energy

goals through the implementation

of a series of power

plants.

Blackbird International

Corporation through its

renewable sea wave energy

technology partner, Wave

Electricity Renewable Power

Ocean (WERPO), has agreed

to set up this joint venture in

order to erect a 500MW wave

energy power plant.

Ghana having an abundance

of sunshine all year

round should focus more on

solar energy production either

through private partnership

models or more investment

to indigenous firms provided

with huge support from banks

to realize full solar potential

which is readily available for

use.

The Noor Solar Complex

is a 500MW solar park located

in the municipality of Ouarzazate

in the Agadir district

of Morocco. It is the biggest

concentrated solar power plant

project in the world.

This is a clarion call on

tapping the sunshine to the

advantage of humanity as being

done in Morocco.

“A bird in hand is worth

two in the bush”.

By Hugh Aryee

Honorary Professor, The

Academic Union Oxford, UK &

Consultant Renewable Energy

Expert

Page 6


CHRAJ does meticulous investigations

of corruption cases – Fatimata Mahami

Ms. Fatimata

Mahami, Tema

Director of the

Commission on

Human Rights

and Administrative Justice

(CHRAJ) has said that the

Commission does meticulous

investigations into corruption

cases it receives.

Ms. Mahami said due to the

nature of the investigations they

carry into cases of corruption

allegations; it took some time

for them to conclude and give

their recommendations leading

to the public perception that the

Commission delayed in releasing

its findings.

She said this during the

13th Ghana News Agency-Tema

Regional Office’s monthly

Stakeholders’ Engagement when

speaking on the topic: “Is the

Fight Against Corruption in

Ghana, A Mirage or Reality, the

Perspective of CHRAJ”.

The monthly engagement

also serves as a motivational

mechanism to recognize

the editorial contribution of

reporters towards national

development in general and the

growth and promotion of the

Tema GNA as the industrial news

hub

Ṁs. Mahami added that

investigators had to exhaust all

possible factors in establishing

the truth or otherwise of a case,

indicating that sometimes the

delay was not even from their

end as it took a longer period

for the needed information

from some institutions and

individuals whose response

might be needed in a particular

case.

On whether the Commission

sees to the implementation of its

recommendations, she said by

law they give the institution or

whoever the issue was against

three months to comply with

the recommendations, followed

with a letter of reminder when

they failed to do so, after which

they resort to the courts for

enforcement.

She called on the public to

inform them of any corruptionrelated

issue they might have

witnessed or heard of for the

needed action.

She said even though the

Commission has interest and

following cases of national

interest not directly reported

to it, the public must also be

willing to report such issues to

the commission as their quota

in curbing corruption in the

country as they would also be

affected by it.

She gave the assurance that

apart from the cases that were

already in court, and those

involving foreign countries,

CHRAJ has the mandate to

investigate all corruption, human

rights, and administrative cases

including that of people seen as

influential in society.

Ms. Mahami also called on the

media to continue to collaborate

with CHRAJ and other state

institutions with mandates to

fight corruption to educate the

public on the devastating effect

of corruption on them directly

and indirectly.

Giving some of the effects,

she said it included the high

cost of doing business as people

have to part away with envelopes

before their documents received

the needed endorsement among

others.

Other effects she said were

poor health care delivery as

monies meant for the provision

of the needed logistics and

equipment ended up being

misapplied or embezzled,

frustration, and lack of fairness

in school admissions or

employment.

Mr. Francis Ameyibor, Tema

Regional Manager of the Ghana

News Agency said the media

was progressively moving away

from only setting the agenda to

ensuring that the agenda it sets

were properly handled and the

required results yielded.

He said corruption was

destroying not only Ghana

but many more developing

countries but sometimes corrupt

officials clandestinely clothe it

with terminologies and with

political colours to make it more

appealing, therefore the need to

involve everyone in its fights as it

affects everyone.

Other speakers included Dr.

Stephen Ayisi-Addo Programme

Manager for the National AIDS/

STI Control Programme who

spoke on “Ghana’s HIV strategies

in line with the global health

strategy for HIV, STI, and Viral

Hepatitis – an Integrated

approach to prevention”.

Ghana's economy cannot support

fuel subsidies – Osafo-Maafo

Senior Presidential

Advisor, Yaw Osafo-

Maafo, has corroborated

government’s stance

that it will not be able

to provide fuel subsidies on

petroleum products.

Since the start of the year,

prices of fuel have hiked

significantly with many

consumers and stakeholders

calling for a reduction in fuel

taxes.

Speaking in an interview

with Accra-based Asaase Radio,

Yaw Osafo-Maafo said the

current structure of Ghana’s

economy cannot support any

form of fuel subsidies.

“There is no way the

economy can provide subsidy to

fuel. it’s a commodity we don’t

produce, others produce and we

buy. And therefore, we should

at best buy it at the cost price,”

he is quoted to have said by

asaaseradio.com

“The economy cannot

and I repeat, cannot stomach

[fuel] subsidy. People should

pay for it. You see, there are

so many vehicles on the road

and some of them need not

be there. If you can’t afford to

drive a 4-wheel drive, then you

must not use it. We must now

begin to look at situations of

economic use of energy,” Mr

Osafo-Maafo explained.

Meanwhile, President Nana

Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo had

earlier argued that the removal

of taxes on petroleum products

will rather result in government

missing out on some GH¢4

billion cedis in revenue.

“At this time, when we

are determined to expand

Government revenues in order

to increase our capacity to

finance our own development,

can we afford to reduce tax

revenues by four billion cedis?”

he said while speaking at this

year's May Day celebrations at

the Black Star Square.

He added that the

government was currently

faced with very tight fiscal

and financing conditions, and

revenue generation constraints,

hence, removing taxes on

petroleum taxes will worsen the

current conditions.

“Indeed, some of the

revenues from these same taxes

on petroleum products are

what is used to pay some of the

salaries of the seven hundred

thousand public sector workers

on government’s payroll,” the

president argued.

Parliament shoots down

€75m loan as Bagbin

summons Ofori-Atta

over COVID funds

The Speaker of

Parliament Alban

Bagbin has summoned

Finance Minister Ken

Ofori-Atta to appear

before the House with details of

all funds received and used in

the name of Covid-19.

The directive followed the

shooting down of a 75 million

Euros loan agreement between

the government of Ghana and

European Investment Bank, EIB

for Covid-19 health response

Ghana Project.

Minority members led by

ranking member for the finance

committee Cassiel Ato Forson

had questioned failure of the

finance minister to properly

account for funds received in the

name of the pandemic so far.

Ho West MP Emmanuel

Bedzra threatened to mobilize

the NDC MPs to vote against

the loan since the President

himself has through relaxation

of the Covid restrictions given

indication the worst of the

pandemic is over.

Majority Chief Whip Frank

Annor-Dompreh sensing the

mood in the house prayed the

speaker to stand down the

agreement.

The Speaker however

ordered the finance minister to

account for all the Covid funds

before parliament or forget any

approval for a credit facility

in the name of fighting the

pandemic.

“I direct that the Minister

of Finance appears before this

House to account for all the

monies that were approved for

the utilization for the covid

pandemic. It’s only then and

only after that this motion will

have an expression in this House

to be approved or otherwise,” the

Speaker directed.

DAILY ANALYST


Some residents at Ada

in the Greater Accra

Region, have called on

stakeholders to help

support effort at ending

human trafficking.

They said traditional and

religious leaders and community

members should help with

sensitisation and education of

the citizenry towards finding

effective ways to solve that

problem.

The residents said leaders

could lead the fight through

community engagement,

outrages, church activities, and

public education among others.

The residents spoke to

the Ghana News Agency in

an interview at Ada during a

community engagement after

four children who had been

trafficked to operate around

Volta Lake were reunited with

their families.

The children were rescued

through the timely intervention

of the Ghana Police Service, the

Department of Social Welfare

in collaboration with the

International Justice Mission.

Mr. Charles Nateh Abayateye,

an Opinion Leader at Anyamam

near Sege, said the leaders of

the various authorities in the

Ada area had a major role to play

in ending human trafficking

by using their various offices

effectively, efficiently, and

Traditional leaders called

strategically.

He noted that the

responsibility of leaders

remained indispensable in

the fight against the menace

and urged them to intensify

public education on the effects

of the menace as well as its

implications on victims as

they were usually beaten and

maltreated in diverse ways.

Answering questions on Ada

as a typical source of trafficking

children onto the Volta Lake to

engage in fishing activities, Mr.

Amos Mantey, a fisherman at

Agblabanya, a predominantly

fishing community, said

there was an urgent need for

stakeholders at the community

level to sensitize residents

on human trafficking and its

negative consequences.

He said the situation could

not be curbed individually or

by a single organization and

called for collaboration and

wider consultation towards its

eradication.

The four children told the

GNA that some of them were

under the age of 10 years when

they were separated from their

families and trafficked into

forced fishing labour on Lake

Volta, Ghana’s largest man-made

lake.

Beyond the fear and abuse

they encountered, the risk of

drowning according to them was

constant as they were forced to

dive deep into dark waters to

untangle fishing nets.

“We worked long hours at

night and early in the morning,”

they said.

They noted that some

of them were currently

experiencing ear defects due to

numerous drownings and ulcers

as a result of starvation and

hunger.

The four children were

trafficked to Yeji, in the Pru East

District of the Bono East Region

located adjacent to Lake Volta

and Morekorpe, and Bejemesu in

the Oti region.

I felt good leaving

office, environment

was toxic – Domelevo

Covid-19 has repurposed HR’s role

and renewed focus on employees

-Vodafone HR Director

The 2021 HR Practitioner

of the Year, Hannah

Ashiokai Akrong,

said the role of Human

Resource practitioners

are focusing more on employees

because of the Covid-19 pandemic.

According to her, HR management

deployed a complex set

of competencies to deal with the

change in work patterns within

a specific time and space.

She made this known at a forum

organised by the HR Certification

Centre to commemorate

the International HR Day.

Annually, 20th May is International

HR Day, an occasion to

recognise all the hardworking

HR and people professionals

around the world.

Speaking as a panel member

on the topic, “HR: Shaping the

new future organisation”, Vodafone

Ghana’s Director of Human

Resources said the pandemic has

reshaped the pattern of industrial

development.

“Covid-19 has accelerated so

much and because of the change

that organisations are going

through, HR Management has

become pivotal to everything

that is going on within the

workspace, particularly regarding

talent management. We witnessed

a debt of talents arising

from massive resignations in

some organisations. However,

for Vodafone Ghana, we came

up with a mapping strategy. We

identified fourteen skills that are

pivotal to our firm and that has

really helped,” she said.

Commenting on performance

evaluation, she said, “We

have moved away from yearly

performance evaluation to weekly

and monthly conversations

where we immediately identify

and address administrative challenges.

Measuring employees’

performance annually wasn’t

helping, so we adopted a monthly

strategy”.

“Also, 98% of our staff work

remotely and we saw increased

productivity within this period.

This was achievable through the

training we provided to employees

on how to work effectively,

remotely.”

Asked if HR Practitioners are

given the needed recognition,

the 2021 HR Practitioner of the

Year said, “It depends on the

organisation you work for. The

functions of the HR practitioner

must be central. This must be

structured properly to create an

avenue for HR to report directly

to the Chief Executive Officer

(CEO). Because of its strategic position,

if it is not recognised, the

practitioner will find it difficult

to implement a lot of things.”

She further tasked practitioners

to make a conscious

effort to understand the business,

finances, and the strategies

within their respective companies.

Former Auditor-General,

Daniel Yao Domelevo,

has said that contrary to

public opinion, he felt

good when he was asked

to leave office.

He indicated that the

working environment at the

time was toxic therefore his

departure was nothing but

‘timely’.

“When I was asked to leave

office, I felt very good. To me it

was timely because to be very

honest, I found the environment

to be so toxic that it was not

worth working in such an

environment. So when they said

to leave, I was just thankful to

God and I left,” he said in the

interview with Joy News.

The then Auditor-General,

Daniel Yaw Domelevo was asked

to proceed on retirement after

he had just returned from a 167-

day forced leave.

In a letter dated March 3,

2021, Nana Akufo-Addo, through

his secretary, Nana Bediatuo

Asante said, “The attention of

the President of the Republic

has been drawn to records and

documents made available to

this Office by the Audit Service,

that indicate that your date of

birth is 1st June 1960 and that in

accordance with article 199 (1)

of the Constitution, your date of

retirement as Auditor-General

was 1st June 2020.”

“Based on this information,

the President is of the view that

you have formally left office,”

the letter from the presidency

said

Ṁr. Johnson Akuamoa-Asiedu

took over as acting Auditor-

General.

Based on the circumstances

leading to his exit, some

members of the public felt

the former Auditor General

would ‘hate’ the Akufo-Addo

government.

But Mr. Daniel Yao Domelevo

declared that he neither bears

grudge against President Akufo-

Addo nor his administration.

“I have nothing against the

government and its appointees. I

was just doing my job and a time

came they said stop and go and I

left. So that is it.

“So there is no bad feeling

at all, that’s why some people

could not understand me when I

went to Christ the King to thank

God that I have done what I am

supposed to do. Some people

think I should have some ill

feelings against the government,

I don’t,” he said.

Page 8

Paediatric Society of

Ghana’s (PSG) experts

say mothers must seek

immediate medical

attention when they

notice any abnormal change in

the skin, eye, and stool colours of

their babies.

They indicated that neonatal

(newborn) jaundice which was a

serious medical condition occur

when the colour of the skin and

eyes of the newborn baby begins

to turn yellowish in the first 28

days (about 4 weeks) of life, and

it was important that mothers

closely monitored their babies under

bright lights (preferably sunlight),

and quickly report to health

facilities for prompt treatment.

The Society therefore warned

that newborns were at risk of

suffering brain damages from

neonatal jaundice without swift

interventions, saying cases were

often reported too late to health

facilities, when the disease had

already traveled into the baby’s

brain causing irreparable damage.

Existing medical literature

on the illness shows that it is

HopeXchange Medical

Center in Kumasi,

has offered free

health screening to

more than 300 people

at Nwamase, a community in the

Kwadaso Municipality of Ashanti.

Community members were

screened for breast and cervical

cancers, hypertension, diabetes,

and other non-communicable

diseases.

Members, especially the

women, received education on

the causes, signs, symptoms and

prevention of breast and cervical

cancers.

It was done in collaboration

with the Nwamase Community

Health Center with sponsorship

from the United States Agency

for International Development

(USAID).

Residents diagnosed with

various health conditions were

referred to the HopeXchange for

further health care and attention.

Dr Kingley Chibuzor, a

Medical Officer at HopeXchange,

speaking to the Ghana News

Agency (GNA) after the exercise

noted that good health care must

be the priority of everyone, and

called on community members

not to relent in seeking medical

attention regularly.

He said knowing one’s health

status and complying with

medical advice was one of the

surest ways to longevity.

Health

increasing in Ghana, and quite

common in preterm babies often

due to an immature liver, however,

some infections, medication or

blood disorders may cause much

serious cases.

For instance, the use of Camphor

to preserve the clothing of

babies with the blood condition

known as G6PD deficiency and

poor feeding, could lead to such an

infection.

Dr Isabella Sagoe-Moses, the

Deputy Director of Reproductive

and Child Health, Ghana Health

Service (GHS), at a round table

stakeholders meeting in Accra,

commended the PSG for and

setting aside the month of May

annually as “Yellow Month,’’ for

increased public education and to

also garner support for improved

care.

She said the year’s theme:

“Survive and Thrive: From Yellow

to Hero,” was a call to all stakeholders

and health partners

for holistic support to improve

access and quality care through

enhanced infrastructure (equipment)

and human resource capac-


brain damages without

swift interventions

ity, to save these babies from the

needless suffering and deaths.

Dr Sagoe-Moses noted that

although neonatal jaundice was

one of the serious illnesses contributing

to high morbidity and

mortality in children, very little

was known about the disease and

its devastating impact on the lives

of individuals, families and the

country.

“There is still so much misconceptions

about neonatal jaundice,

not only among the public,

but also among health workers,

hence the need to ensure continuous

and sustained dissemination

of vital information,” she said.

She urged hospital managers

to provide training for health

workers, with emphasis on

midwives and traditional birth

attendants who were the first

point of call, and pleaded with

District Assemblies and private

sector partners, to make neonatal

jaundice a budget priority for

the procurement of diagnostic

and phototherapy equipment for

optimal care.

The Director suggested a

multidisciplinary approach where

healthcare managers, community

leaders and groups, children and

adolescents were engaged as focal

persons and advocates within

their various spaces for education.

Dr Sagoe-Moses said concrete

strategies must be developed for

Nwamase residents screened of

breast, cervical cancers

Dr Chibuzor emphasized that

people living with hypertension,

diabetes and other known health

challenges ought to comply with

medications backed by regular

check-ups to keep them in shape.

Ms Constance Oppong, a

Midwife at HopeXchange who

led the screening for cervical and

breast cancers, said cancers had

become common in our societies

and must be taken seriously by all.

She entreated women in

particular to have periodic

examinations of their breasts

and cervixes and advised them to

conduct self-breast examinations

often.

Mr Bismark Donkor, a staff of

the medical center who led the

team, said the hospital offered all

kinds of services to clients, which

was why it had reached out to

community members with quality

health services.

He said the HopeXchange

would continue reaching out to

the less-privileged communities

with medical interventions.

Maame Yaa, a resident of

Nwamase speaking with the GNA,

expressed appreciation to the

facility and said she had always

wanted to check her status for

breast and cervical cancers but

could not afford the charges.

She said the exercise had been

beneficial to the community,

saying that it had helped many

people to know their status.

effective resource mobilisation

(both human and equipment), to

ensure equitable distribution and

management of newborn jaundice.

“Considering the debilitating

and deadly effect of the disease,

every effort must be made to arrest

this public health gap,” she said.

During a panel discussion, the

issue of myths about the causes

and treatment of neonatal jaundice

came up strongly, where societal

beliefs such the consumption

of certain foods like groundnuts

and eggs or some fruits, had been

blamed on pregnant women for

the plights of their children.

Other misconceptions included

the use of breastmilk to clear

the yellowish colour on the eyes of

babies.

The panelists admitted that

although antenatal and post-natal

clinics were very important interventions

for mothers and their

babies as they offered key opportunities

for acquiring knowledge and

assessing the health and wellbeing

of both persons, the use of the

Maternal and Child Health Record

book as a holistic tool for informa-

The Management of

Brakwa Health Center

in Asikuma-Odoben-

Brakwa (AOB) District

of the Central Region,

has appealed to the public,

philanthropists, corporate bodies,

and benevolent organizations

to assist in solving challenges

confronting the facility to work

without hindrances.

Dr John Asare Dadzie Mensah,

Medical Officer-In-Charge of

the Center made the appeal at a

durbar organised in collaboration

with Faith Based-Organizations,

corporate bodies, chiefs, and

Brakwa Community Youth

Development Association to raise

funds to refurbish the facility.

Dr Mensah on behalf of the

Ministry of Health and the Ghana

Health Service expressed immense

appreciation to the organizers

for their decision to support the

facility to ease it of its challenges.

He indicated that hundreds

of clients in and around the town

visit the facility daily and cases

beyond them were referred to Our

Lady of Grace Hospital in Breman

Asikuma, the District Capital.

Dr Amoah said the referrals

tion sharing and data gathering

had not been maximized.

They urged the PSG to invest

in advocacy tools by developing a

uniformed material for effective

education throughout the country,

while engaging the private sector

and faith-based organisations

as partners to achieve a solution

where everyone benefits.

Other suggestions included

improving data for effective monitoring

and policy interventions.

Naa Korkor Aadzeoyi, the

Queen mother of Adabraka, a community

in Accra, welcomed the

positive engagement initiated by

the PSG with the traditional leadership

of communities in Ghana,

saying their involvement would

help ‘water’ down the education

at the grassroots, communicating

in the right or appropriate languages

for better understanding

and appreciation of the issues.

Dr Hilda Mantebea Boye, the

General Secretary of the PSG,

thanked all the participants for

their active participation in the

event and for supporting the

efforts of the Society.

Durbar held to raise funds

in support of Brakwa

Health Center

were as a result of lack of

adequate medical equipment

including beds, oxygen cylinders,

paediatric and emergency wards

in the facility which were some

of the key factors affecting their

operation.

Also, most of the patients,

he noted could not afford

transportation cost when referred

and, therefore, making all the

necessary services available

will be of great relief to the

community to access health care

services at their doorstep.

Mr Lawrence Edutuah-Asiaw,

the District Chief Executive

(DCE), applauded the organizers

for taking that bold initiative

to ensure that people in the

community and its surrounding

villages received quality health

care and emphasized the need for

others to complement efforts by

the government to better the lot

of the citizenry in the country.

He announced that the

District Assembly in collaboration

with the Regional Coordinating

Council, was working around

the clock to address the facility’s

challenges and also upgrade it to

the status of a Polyclinic.

DAILY ANALYST


Opinion

African cities must be regionally

productive, worldwide

connected, and self-reliant

ucts at a low price, making them

attractive to the international

market. Hence, it's expected to

increase exports and durable

economic stability. It’s equally

important to note that durable

economic stability cannot be

achieved without exporting

outside of the country.

The second component of

productivity is labour initiatives.

This refers to the efficiency of

the labour to work and achieve

optimal production levels. If

labour is productive, more goods

will be produced in a limited

time. This can be achieved by

implementing training, production

reforms, technological

advancements, and achievement

of the learning curve to

ensure long-term financial

sustainability. A learning curve

is when labour gets proficiency

in the performance of the task.

It helps ensure that the business

gets desired productions

in a limited time. Considering

the demographics and energetic

people of Africa, taking timely

steps to train (re-skilling and

up-skilling) our people can be an

excellent step towards achieving

a learning curve.

Further, a greater advantage

of this efficient and effective

labour management, is higher

wages (leading to financial

prosperity); lower product

price(efficient production can

lead to lower product costing);

higher business profit (skilled

labour is expected to improve

product quality and enhance the

business); and overall stronger

economic growth.

Another perspective of being

productive is the integration of

the different industrial processes.

For instance, for a successful

export, the business needs to

source materials, labour, processes,

transportation, energy/

fuel, competent staff, and comply

with regulations and other

aspects of running and effectively

operating the business.

Process optimization is about

managing operations so that

the process is completed quickly

with the least resource wastage.

Likewise, there is a need to

develop a strong mechanism for

a transportation system, energy

consumption, and regulatory

reforms.

Regulatory reform is an area

where African Governments

have a massive role to play. Although,

Ghana has a good rating

in terms of starting a business

and getting electricity which is

85 and 77 respectively, (statistica)

however, there is a massive need

to improve trading across borders

and enforcing of contracts.

Trading across borders refers

to procedural formalities for

imports and exports. This metric

is divided into three sub-categories:

domestic transport, border

compliance, and documentary

compliance. The Government of

Ghana needs to thoroughly work

on these aspects to ensure ease

of doing business.

Enforcing a contract refers

to the cost and time required for

resolving commercial disputes.

There is a need to work on the

quality of judicial processes and

make the overall process effective

and efficient.

So, taking steps in terms of

business process optimization,

economic stability, constructive

infrastructure, improving judicial

reforms, and import/export

formalities is expected to bring

productivity to the overall business

environment of Africa.

A good idea can be to start

by developing some model city

where all such facilities are

provided to the business. From

time to time, such initiatives

can be spread across the country.

So, to make Africa productive,

we need to enhance productivity

of our cities. Ideally, the test

city would need to have several

coherent similarities with many

other African cities to allow for

the most learning and interactions

that can more easily be

replicated across the continent.

2. Worldwide connectivity

Worldwide connectivity

is the basis of the country's

international trade and export

performance. If routes and connections

of the country with an

international market are strong,

it leads to higher exports and

higher GDP.

There are two aspects of

looking at worldwide connectivity.

The first is the logistics

perspective, and the second

is international affiliation

and trading associations. The

logistics perspective refers to

how businesses can streamline

overall supply chain management.

It includes order handling,

managing production, inventory

management, packaging, storing,

and efficiently dealing with

the process of exports clearance.

For export clearance, there is

a need to maintain a standard of

procedural compliance as a protocol

for the shipping companies

and compliance with an international

trade norm.

From a logistics perspective,

38 out of 54 states in Africa have

a coastal region with the ability

to trade with the world directly.

This region has over a hundred

operational ports that facilitate

around 6% of the global cargo

services. Further, there are seven

critical ports in Africa: Durban,

Mombasa, Djibouti, Lagos, Abidjan,

Suez Canal, and Tangier.

These ports play a crucial role in

trading activities. (fahamu)

However, the problem is that

Africa has only 2 percent of all

world trade. This number is very

small, especially considering

this region has tremendous

natural resources globally. These

resources include gold, diamond,

oil, agricultural products like

The success of any

country is dependent

on the collective behaviour

of the nation.

Generally, the people's

work commitment, attitude,

and hard work help determine

their financial profile. However,

it’s difficult to determine

what should be the direction for

efforts.

Here we present a secret

recipe leading Africa to an unmatchable

success. This secret is,

African cities must be, Regionally

Productive, Connected worldwide,

and Self-reliant.

The development of any

country is dependent on the

production capacity and optimization

of economic activities.

This capacity needs to be aligned

with modern infrastructure

and be self-reliant in terms of

resource utilization and foods

production.

This model can be applied for

Africa to develop. However, this

approach is only effective when

we collectively put in our efforts

and ensure each step of the

process is taken with due consideration.

For Africa to develop,

we need to rework our cities to

enhance productivity in different

aspects of human life.

Let's understand how this

productivity can be achieved

and what practices need to be

followed.

1. Regionally productive

We need to make Africa productive:

productive in terms of

economic stability; productive

in terms of resource utilization;

productive in terms of increasing

exports and the GDP of the

country.

Regionally productive refers

to optimizing processes leading

to higher output against

limited input. It's about creating

an ecosystem that encourages

skills, competence, integrity, and

technological advancements in

the country.

In simple words, we need to

review how things are made in

our country, the problems with

the supply chain, the frictional

forces leading to production

losses, and how things can be

controlled to ensure economic

reforms. Further, productivity

can be divided into two main

parts: economic productivity

and labour productivity.

Economic productivity is

based on getting maximum

output with limited input. It

can be done via process optimization

and efficient resource

utilization. Process optimization

means introducing some innovation/changes

in the overall

production process to ensure all

controllable aspects are monitored

and managed.

So, it aims to achieve production

by incurring the least cost

and not compromising the quality

aspects of the product. This

process aims to produce prodtea,

coffee, cocoa, etc. Further,

the quality of these products is

remarkable which means there

is soft space for expanding on

the exports. (ustr)

Even if Africa can increase

exports by only 1% (from 2% to

3% of the global trade), it would

bring an additional $70 billion in

annual revenue which is three

times more than the total funds

Africa gets under development

assistance from the world. So,

Africa does not have the problem

of logistics , but rather, initiatives

to sell abroad.

The second factor of worldwide

connectivity/exports

expansion is affiliation with

the trading associations. Africa

is part of the different national

and international trade organizations

like Association of trade

promotions, organization and

trade point Tanzania, Trade point

Pretoria, Ghana Export Promotion

Council etc. However, still,

there is a need to do more and

find customers abroad. Likewise,

other aspects of trade enhancement

can be increasing trade

between African countries. It

would lead to an overall increase

in economic/trading activities.

Further, increasing exports

lead to managing different aspects

of the country that include

a balance of payments, level of

the national reserves, stability of

the currency, and overall financial

enhancements.

Hence, worldwide connectivity

can add to the enhancement

of a country’s development.

However, we need to connect our

cities globally.

3. Self-reliance

Self-reliance refers to the

quality of having sufficient food

and other needs to pass life.

In other words, the country is

self-reliant when it’s capable of

fulfilling the food needs of its

people.

In fact, undernourishment

and food shortage is the top

problem for African countries.

This problem is so severe that

it impacts the generation's

overall dietary requirements and

nourishment. Self-reliance is

measured by SSR- Self-sufficiency

ratio.

Countries around the globe

seek to enhance SSR and ensure

the food security of the people.

Generally, it's a top priority

for Governments around the

globe. However, in recent times,

unfortunately, the SSR for Africa

has decreased from 1 to 0.8. It

means the Government could

not sustain internal production

for the foods and diet; rather, the

country has had to import the

foods to narrow the gap between

demand and supply. (springer)

Further, increasing the country's

GDP leads to an increase

in the consumption of foods

as people opt for diverse foods.

Although Africa has sufficient

resources in terms of soil and

nutrients, there is a problem

with being self-reliant. Hence,

there is a strong need to emphasize

on this.

Conclusion

If a country aims to develop,

it needs to focus on developing

its cities and the quality of

people's lives. It can be done in

three steps: making the cities regionally

productive, implementing

worldwide connectivity, and

ensuring self-reliance in terms

of food.

Regionally productive refers

to increasing the productivity

of your businesses. It’s about increasing

industrial output leading

to higher exports and higher

GDP. Productivity is strongly

connected with economic stability,

labour efficiency and the

achievement of quality production

using limited resources.

Secondly, we need to comprehensively

connect our cities

with the globe. It's one of the

important steps for marketing

and product visualization.

Likewise, the country needs

to be self-reliant in terms of

food production. Unfortunately,

Africa still needs to import

foods to fulfil its needs and the

SSR – self-sufficiency ratio has

decreased in recent times. So,

there is a strong need to focus

on initiatives that make Africa

independent.

I hope you enjoyed the read.

Hit me up and let’s keep the

conversation going! I read all

the feedback you send. Also, feel

free to throw at me topics you’d

like to read or hear my thoughts

on. You can always head to my

Calendly to schedule a quick

chat by going to calendly.com/

maxwellampong. Or connect

with me your own way through

my Linktree: https://linktr.ee/

themax.

These are all facts. And this

has been an opinion piece.

Have a blessed week!

Page 10

Contrary to fears that

the implementation of

the Electronic Transfer

Levy (E-levy) would

collapse the business

of mobile money agents, there

seem to be a new revenue

stream for them – namely

cash-in transactions, which

have become the preference of

customers.

This comes as a result of

some customers’ desperate

attempt to avoid the e-levy, as

transactions done as cash-ins

– otherwise known as deposits –

have become the order of the day

since the 1.5 percent tax came

into effect about three weeks

ago

Ṙather than send monies

from their own mobile money

wallets, customers withdraw the

cash, pay the cash-out fee, and

give the money to the agent to

be sent to the destination mobile

money wallet. This is because

e-levy does not affect both the

cash out and the agent transfer.

So, neither the agent nor the

customer loses.

Indeed, this type of ‘smart’

move from customers gives the

agents more money because

the more customers do cash out

and pay the 0.75% fee, the more

Business

E-Levy fallout: Mobile

money agents cashing in

on deposit transactions

commission the agent gets from

the telcos.

Most of the agents explained

to the B&FT that even though

there were panic-withdrawals

a few days after the E-Levy

took off, activities picked up

immediately when patrons

realised mobile money agents

were exempted from the E-levy

charges.

“The onset was a bit slow,

especially a day before the

E-levy came into force – they

did panic-withdrawals. The

following day people were afraid

to make deposits; but when we

educated them that there is no

E-levy charge on depositing and

withdrawals, they came back. So

far so good, we are managing,”

Daniel Osei, a MoMo agent at

Kasoa, told the B&FT.

Another mobile money agent

at Makola Market who wants to

be called Belinda said: “Now the

cash-in has increased; all those

who used to load their wallets

do not do that anymore, they

give us the money and we do the

transfer on their behalf and this

doesn’t attract E-levy. One way

or another, the E-levy has helped

us.

“For me, that is how I see

it – because the more cash-in


transactions you do, the more

commission you get at the end

of the month from your service

provider. So the E-levy has really

helped us, the merchants.”

Esther Amoako, also a mobile

money agent at Djanman near

Weija, told the B&FT in an

interview that: “For now, when

it comes to deposits, yes, its

patronage has increased because

people are refusing to transfer

money from their phones to

different numbers.

“They rather come and

withdraw and deposit it to the

number which they want to

send money to; so in that area,

there’s been an increase as

compared to before when they

deposited the money on their

numbers and did the transfers

themselves.

“Now if they have the money

on their phones, they withdraw

it and ask me to send it on their

behalf. This will reflect into

commission from the Telcos at

end of the month. So in other

words, more money for us.”

Lawful or unlawful

The issue of whether it is

lawful or unlawful for mobile

money agents to undertake

such transactions has become

debatable after a member of the

E-levy Technical Committee,

Patrick Frimpong Danso, said on

a local television network, UTV,

that the practice is illegal.

But the agents disagree,

saying they are only doing

deposits, which their

system allows them to do,

and are permitted by the

telecommunication companies

(Telcos).

“We do not do transfers,

we do cash-in cash-out. We

do deposits and withdrawals;

we don’t transfer. You cannot

even transfer from a merchant

SIM. Transfer is only on the

subscribers SIM. The subscriber

does not have deposits on their

numbers, it is agents who have

the deposits,” Mrs. Amoako said.

“Prior to the E-levy, the

network providers told us not to

transfer money to other people

on the customers behalf, but it

didn’t work because most of the

customers claim they cannot

do the transaction themselves,”

Belinda said.

Indeed, the telcos have asked

the agents to ensure that any

customer wallet into which they

do a deposit is present at the

agent point, or else the telcos’

systems will treat it as a transfer

and penalize the agent for it.

This was based on a directive

from the Bank of Ghana.

That has been the practice

until now that e-levy is here

and now the agents seem to

be aiding customers to avoid

e-levy by allowing ‘deposits’ into

wallets outside of their stations,

which is actually transfers.

The Ghana Ports and

Harbours Authority

has indicated that a

lot of its successes

in the provision of

security at Ghana’s ports is

owed to its investments in

technology.

Speaking on Eye on Port,

the Deputy Security Manager,

in charge of operations at the

Port of

Tema, Samuel Adjetey

revealed that the Authority

has invested in world class

surveillance and access control

systems.

He stated that GPHA has

in recent years embarked on

a digitization agenda and the

security department has been

a core focus.

Mr. Adjetey said “our CCTV

cameras have been upgraded

and we can boast of one of

the best control rooms in the

West African corridor. We have

about 210 cameras covering

the port and we still have

about 90 on standby which

are assessing areas to deploy

them. We deploy about 20

cameras at our new jetty alone.

Our administrative areas also

are fully monitored and we

deploy cameras that have facial

identity recognition. Some

of our staff also make use of

body-worn cameras. We have

also been trained in the use of

GPHA’s security reaping

benefits of investments

in technology

drone equipment to enhance

our surveillance methods.”

The Deputy Security

Manager disclosed that such

apt security has culminated in

a reduction in the incidence of

stowaway attempts through

the port.

He said the vessel and

port interface has been

strengthened with respect to

security.

The GPHA Security official

revealed that in 2022 neither

have stowaways been nabbed

nor disembarked at the Port of

Tema.

Similarly, in 2021, no

attempts were recorded

through the Port of Tema, even

though 2 persons stowed away

in other ports in Africa were

disembarked at the Port of

Tema.

In 2020 however, six

stowaway attempts were foiled

by the GPHA Security and 13

persons were disembarked at

the port.

He also revealed that

digitization of the port systems

has reduced frauds associated

with cargo clearance.

Mr. Adjetey said unlike

prior to the paperless port

system, the falsification of

port clearance invoices by

unscrupulous individuals and

syndicates were rampant.

He said GPHA has ensured

to put in place security

measures that have made such

acts almost impossible.

Samuel Adjetey also

identified the staff strength of

the security department as key

to the Authority’s successes in

security.

He said GPHA’s security

staff undergo basic military

training at the Ghana Armed

Forces combined with several

in-house capacity programs

intended to enable the security

staff execute their assignments

diligently.

The GPHA Security official

also acknowledged the strong

collaboration his outfit has

with other national security

agencies in the overall security

of the Ghana ports.

He said GPHA enjoys

strong collaboration with the

Customs Division of the Ghana

Revenue Authority, the Marine

Police, Ghana Immigration

Service, National Investigation

Bureau, Narcotics Control

Commission, among others

for the smooth running of

the maritime trade through

Ghana’s ports.

The Deputy Security

Manager at the Port of Tema

however urged stakeholders

to be security conscious, in

the shared responsibility of

protecting themselves, cargoes

and port facilities.

Mr. Adjetey said, “anytime

you spot abnormalities in

the port including suspicious

persons and packages, please

draw our attention. Also for the

concessionaires operating in

the port, please make sure to

use the best private security.”

“We also entreat

stakeholders to embrace the

digitization drive and roll on

initiatives such as the e-tolling

and the Truck and Trailer

Identification and Inspection

policy at the Port,” he added.

DAILY ANALYST


Chan 2022

Ghana face Benin

Republic, Comoros

tackle South Africa,

CAR play Cameroon

Ghana will face Benin

Republic in Zone West

A, while South Africa

will slug it out with

Comoros in the first

round qualifiers for a ticket to

the 2022 African Nations Championship.

The draw held on Thursday

in Egypt was steered by Caf head

of competition Khaled Nassar

and was assisted by Algeria football

great Djamal Menad.

There will be 43 countries

looking to qualify for the African

football showpiece billed for

Algeria, with plenty of ambitious

teams that believe they

can match the efforts from 2020

reigning champions Morocco.

In Zone West A, Liberia will

square up against Senegal, while

Sierra Leone try Cape Verde for

size with the Gambia aiming to

negotiate their way past Guinea

Bissau in the first round.

Ghana versus Benin Republic

is the only first round clash in

Zone West B, with the winners

over two legs setting up a date

with Nigeria’s Super Eagles.

Meanwhile, Cote d’Ivoire vs

Burkina Faso, and Togo vs Niger

Republic headline the fixtures in

the second round.

Central African Republic,

Congo, DR Congo, Equatorial

Guinea, Cameroon, and Chad will

lock horns against one another

to present the three representatives

in the Central Zone.

In the same vein, Central

East will present three countries

from Ethiopia, South Sudan,

Somalia, and Tanzania.

South Africa are eyeing a

third appearance at the biennial

African football showpiece, albeit,

they must scale the Comoros

hurdle in the first round.

Chan 2023 was originally

scheduled to be played from

10 July to 1 August 2022. Nonetheless,

Caf rescheduled it to

January 2023, due to the Covid-19

pandemic.

Morocco defeated Mali in the

final of the 2021 edition staged in

Cameroon.

DRAW IN FULL

Zone West A

First Round

Liberia vs Senegal

Sierra Leone vs Cape Verde

Gambia vs Guinea Bissua

Second Round

Liberia/Senegal vs Guinea

Sierra Leone/C/Verde vs Mali

Gambia vs Guinea Bissau vs

Mauritania

Zone West B

First Round

Ghana vs Benin Republic

Second Round

Cote d’Ivoire vs Burkina Faso

Togo vs Niger Republic

Ghana/Benin vs Nigeria

Central Zone

Central African Republic vs

Congo

Equatorial Guinea vs Cameroon

Chad DR Congo

Central East

First Round

Ethiopia vs South Sudan

Somalia vs Tanzania

Burundi Djibouti

Second Round

Ethiopia/South Sudan vs

Rwanda

Somalia/Tanzania vs Uganda

Burundi vs Djibouti vs Sudan

Southern Zone

First Round

Mauritius vs Angola

Comoros vs South Africa

Botswana vs Eswatini

Seychelles vs Madagasacar

Malawi vs Zimbabwe

Mozambique vs Zambia

Manchester

United CEO

Richard Arnold

is confident the

appointment of

Erik ten Hag will help the club to

achieve long-term success, albeit

warning it won't be achieved

"overnight".

The Red Devils endured a

miserable 2021-22 campaign

which saw them miss out on

silverware and a place in next

season's Champions League.

Ten Hag has been charged

with guiding the team going

forward and the club's chief

executive has urged fans to be

patient.

What did Arnold say about

Man Utd's future?

"Suffice to say we are not

happy with where we are in

terms of performance on the

pitch," Arnold said at a fans'

forum.

"We understand fans are

frustrated and want to see

change and improvement and

I can assure you that we share

that frustration very intensely

within the club.

"We also feel confidence that

change is coming because of the

action being taken to drive longterm

success.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic

has revealed that he

has been playing for

AC Milan without

an anterior cruciate

ligament in his left knee for the

past six months.

Ibrahimovic's involvement

in Milan's Serie A title-winning

campaign was reduced because

of recurring injury problems.

The striker has now been

ruled out until 2023 after having

an operation to reconstruct the

cruciate ligament.

Sports

Ten Hag appointment

will lead to turnaround

"The appointment of Erik

ten Hag was the most visible

example of that action and the

most important. Success won't

be achieved overnight but we are

determined to get there."

What role will Ten Hag play in

rebuilding Man Utd?

United's football director

John Murtough said at the fans'

forum that Ten Hag will have

some influence when it comes

to recruiting new players this

summer and that a few academy

graduates are expected to come

Ibrahimovic: For six months I played

without an ACL in my left knee

What did Ibrahimovic say

about his knee injury?

The 40-year-old discussed the

extent of his suffering over the

last six months in an Instagram

post on Thursday.

"For the past six months, I

played without an ACL in my left

knee," Ibrahimovic wrote.

"Swollen knee for six months.

I was only able to train with

the team 10 times in the last six

months.

"Took more than 20 injections

in six months. Emptied the knee

through to the senior team.

"Erik will aim to maximise

the potential of existing players

while building towards longterm

success," he said.

"The squad will be

strengthened and renewed this

summer and Erik will be a key

voice in this process, together

with the recruitment department

to identify and secure targets.

"There remains huge

potential in the existing squad

and strong academy talent

coming through."

once a week for six months.

Painkillers every day for six

months. Barely slept for six

months because of the pain.

"Never suffered so much

on and off the pitch. I made

something impossible to

something possible.

"In my mind I had only one

objective, to make my teammates

and coach champions of Italy

because I made them a promise.

"Today I have a new ACL and

another trophy."

How did Ibrahimovic perform

this season?

Ibrahimovic scored eight

Serie A goals in 23 appearances, 11

of which he started this season.

The Sweden international

helped end Milan's 11-year wait

for a Serie A title as they beat

Sassuolo on the final day of the

season.

It is not clear if the attacker

will return to the game after he

recovers from his operation as

his contract with Milan expires

this summer.

In March, Ibrahimovic

discussed the prospect of retiring

and admitted that the thought

gives him a "sense of panic",

adding: "I will certainly keep

playing for as long as possible, as

long as I can get results and am

not suffering.

"I want to end my career

without regrets, so I have to

maximise my time."

Friday, 27th May, 2022

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