Page 29: November 10, 2008.
A SENIOR police officer, Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Felix Mawusi, has urged the youth to acquire skills and academic qualifications to enable them to assume leadership positions in future.
He said leadership positions were bestowed on people who were adequately prepared and capable of holding themselves out to lead and defend their people.
DSP Mawusi was speaking on the topic, "The Youth and Their Calling", at a forum organised by the youth of the Alajo branch of the Church of Christ in Accra on Monday.
It formed part of activities marking the youth week of the church. Other activities outlined for the week include a lecture on dieting, quiz and debates, special youth prayers and football matches.
Using Ezekiel 22:30 as a point of reference, DSP Mawusi said certain conditions needed to be met before one could be entrusted with a leadership position.
Those conditions, he indicated, included academic qualifications and professional skills.
Unfortunately, DSP Mawusi said, instead of concentrating on acquiring the requisite skills, training and academic qualifications, the youth were being bombarded by the increasing impact of modernisation through foreign culture.
He said although the youth were often referred to as future leaders, leadership positions were not automatic when they became adults.
He reminded them of what God said in Ezekiel 22:30, "I looked for someone who could build a wall, who could stand in the places where the walls have crumbled and defend the land when my anger is about to destroy it, but I could find no one."
DSP Mawusi said God did not just look for anybody but one with skill and capability, stressing that "God will not leave the land in the hands of any unskilled person".
He said the youth must always see the problems they faced as challenges and strategise to overcome them.
In that way, DSP Mawusi said, they would become extraordinary and revel in their hard work.
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
Forged British visa applications reduce
Page 3: November 7, 2008.
Story: Albert K. Salia
THE number of forged visa applications to the British High Commission has reduced from 40 per cent in 2004 to eight per cent this year.
The Immigration Liaison Manager of the British High Commission, Mr Paul Stafford, said in Accra yesterday that as a result of the success of the Visa and Documentation Fraud Unit of the Criminal Investigations Department (CID), the United Kingdom’s Border Agency International Group was providing £26,500 for the purchase of a vehicle and equipment for the unit.
Mr Stafford was speaking when he visited the Director-General of the CID, DCOP Frank Adu-Poku.
He said the British Government had also decided to replicate the programme throughout the world.
"This is in recognition of the achievements of the Visa and Documentation Fraud Unit of the CID in reducing the submission of forged documents by visa applicants to the British High Commission in Ghana," he stated.
He said since the unit was set up in 2004, through the instrumentality of the Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) K. K. Amoah, more than 3,200 visa applicants had been arrested at the British High Commission for submitting forged or fraudulently obtained documents or for identity abuse.
Prior to the inception of the exercise, he said, an assessment of visa applications showed that 40 per cent of all applications submitted to the High Commission contained forged or fraudulently obtained documents.
Mr Stafford said it was as a result of the success of the programme that senior officials in the United Kingdom recognised Ghana’s efforts as an "outstanding example of how to reduce fraud and work with local law enforcement agencies".
In addition to the CID boss, Mr Stafford also commended Chief Inspector Antwi Tanoh and Inspector Joseph Mannoh for being excellent ambassadors for the CID in ensuring the success of the unit.
DCOP Adu-Poku expressed the appreciation of the Police Administration for the resources that various foreign missions were providing to support the work of the unit.
He gave the assurance that the vehicle and equipment would be put to good use to reduce the incidence of forged documents in visa applications.
Story: Albert K. Salia
THE number of forged visa applications to the British High Commission has reduced from 40 per cent in 2004 to eight per cent this year.
The Immigration Liaison Manager of the British High Commission, Mr Paul Stafford, said in Accra yesterday that as a result of the success of the Visa and Documentation Fraud Unit of the Criminal Investigations Department (CID), the United Kingdom’s Border Agency International Group was providing £26,500 for the purchase of a vehicle and equipment for the unit.
Mr Stafford was speaking when he visited the Director-General of the CID, DCOP Frank Adu-Poku.
He said the British Government had also decided to replicate the programme throughout the world.
"This is in recognition of the achievements of the Visa and Documentation Fraud Unit of the CID in reducing the submission of forged documents by visa applicants to the British High Commission in Ghana," he stated.
He said since the unit was set up in 2004, through the instrumentality of the Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) K. K. Amoah, more than 3,200 visa applicants had been arrested at the British High Commission for submitting forged or fraudulently obtained documents or for identity abuse.
Prior to the inception of the exercise, he said, an assessment of visa applications showed that 40 per cent of all applications submitted to the High Commission contained forged or fraudulently obtained documents.
Mr Stafford said it was as a result of the success of the programme that senior officials in the United Kingdom recognised Ghana’s efforts as an "outstanding example of how to reduce fraud and work with local law enforcement agencies".
In addition to the CID boss, Mr Stafford also commended Chief Inspector Antwi Tanoh and Inspector Joseph Mannoh for being excellent ambassadors for the CID in ensuring the success of the unit.
DCOP Adu-Poku expressed the appreciation of the Police Administration for the resources that various foreign missions were providing to support the work of the unit.
He gave the assurance that the vehicle and equipment would be put to good use to reduce the incidence of forged documents in visa applications.
Immigration Service ready to secure country’s borders
Page 72: November 6, 2008.
Story: Albert K. Salia
THE Ghana Immigration Service (GIS) says the country’s border patrol machinery has been put on high alert in readiness for the forthcoming elections.
"We have taken extreme precaution to protect and secure the country’s borders for the elections," Ms Elizabeth Adjei, Director-General of GIS told the Daily Graphic in an interview yesterday.
She said apart from the regular personnel posted to the country’s borders, about 1,000 additional personnel of the recently created Border Patrol Unit of the GIS were patrolling the length and breath of the country, particularly the known unapproved routes.
According to her, 500 more personnel would be deployed by the middle of this month to sensitive border posts during and after the elections.
Ms Adjei said the Border Patrol Unit was now handling the physical protection of both entry and exit points of the country, adding that the GIS had set up about 20 patrol bases covering the entire land mass of the country.
She said the border patrol personnel have been supplied with logistics, particularly communication gadgets including radios, cell phones, transport and established mobile border teams to check the unapproved routes.
She said the GIS was monitoring all the threats, including the influx of people into the country, especially if there were extraordinary movements of people to and from other countries.
Ms Adjei said the personnel, together with other security services, would intensify the search on vehicles and their contents as the elections drew nearer.
Ms Adjei cautioned personnel of the GIS to remain neutral and professional in the task assigned them during the forthcoming elections.
Story: Albert K. Salia
THE Ghana Immigration Service (GIS) says the country’s border patrol machinery has been put on high alert in readiness for the forthcoming elections.
"We have taken extreme precaution to protect and secure the country’s borders for the elections," Ms Elizabeth Adjei, Director-General of GIS told the Daily Graphic in an interview yesterday.
She said apart from the regular personnel posted to the country’s borders, about 1,000 additional personnel of the recently created Border Patrol Unit of the GIS were patrolling the length and breath of the country, particularly the known unapproved routes.
According to her, 500 more personnel would be deployed by the middle of this month to sensitive border posts during and after the elections.
Ms Adjei said the Border Patrol Unit was now handling the physical protection of both entry and exit points of the country, adding that the GIS had set up about 20 patrol bases covering the entire land mass of the country.
She said the border patrol personnel have been supplied with logistics, particularly communication gadgets including radios, cell phones, transport and established mobile border teams to check the unapproved routes.
She said the GIS was monitoring all the threats, including the influx of people into the country, especially if there were extraordinary movements of people to and from other countries.
Ms Adjei said the personnel, together with other security services, would intensify the search on vehicles and their contents as the elections drew nearer.
Ms Adjei cautioned personnel of the GIS to remain neutral and professional in the task assigned them during the forthcoming elections.
8,000 Liberian refugees return home
Page 47: November 6, 2008.
Story: Albert K. Salia
ABOUT 8,000 Liberian refugees in Ghana have so far returned home on the voluntary repatriation exercise initiated in April this year under the auspices of the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR).
They were made up of 3,728 males and 4,221 females with 15,000 more refugees waiting to be repatriated under the programme.
Out of those repatriated, 195 went in April, 924 in May, 1,475 in July, 2,266 in August, 1,281 in September and 485 in October, 2008.
The Interior Minister, Dr Kwame Addo-Kufuor, disclosed this to the Daily Graphic after the Tripartite Committee for the Voluntary Repatriation of Liberian Refugees in Ghana had issued a joint statement on the status of the exercise in Accra .
It was the outcome of a Third meeting of the Tripartite Committee for the voluntary repatriation of Liberian refugees in Ghana.
In the statement, the committee expressed their commitment to supporting the voluntary repatriation of Liberian refugees from Ghana to Liberia until March, 31, 2009.
It said a verification exercise would be conducted in mid-January, 2009, to ascertain the number of Liberian refugees in Ghana, determine those with Ghanaian family links, update their profile, and determine refugees' intentions to either return to Liberia or remain in Ghana.
"Following the verification exercise, the Government of Ghana and the UNHCR are encouraged to conduct an information campaign to inform the Liberian refugees opting to remain in Ghana of processes and procedures," it added.
In view of the challenges confronting the carting of their belongings and the nature of the bad road from Cote d’Ivoire to Liberia, the committee agreed to identify a sea-worthy vessel to use in addition to already existing modes of transportation.
"The government of Liberia will continue to make efforts towards creating an enabling environment to receive returnees, through development initiatives as part of the Poverty Reduction Strategy," it stated.
The committee stressed that reintegration opportunities, particularly in the area of skills training, micro-grants and micro-finance, would be made available to returnees who fulfil the criteria set by those programmes.
It acknowledged Ghana’s plans to relocate refugees from Buduburam to other parts of Ghana upon completion of the organised voluntary repatriation, stressing that "their status will be in accordance with national and regional instruments in force in Ghana".
Dr Addo-Kufuor said it was not the intention of the government to "push" the refugees out of the country but rather to pave the way for de-camping Buduburam township as a refugee camp to revert to its status as an ordinary Ghanaian town.
He said any Liberian who chose to stay in Ghana was welcome.
He explained that the verification exercise became necessary following the arrival of some refugees from Cote d’Ivoire.
Story: Albert K. Salia
ABOUT 8,000 Liberian refugees in Ghana have so far returned home on the voluntary repatriation exercise initiated in April this year under the auspices of the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR).
They were made up of 3,728 males and 4,221 females with 15,000 more refugees waiting to be repatriated under the programme.
Out of those repatriated, 195 went in April, 924 in May, 1,475 in July, 2,266 in August, 1,281 in September and 485 in October, 2008.
The Interior Minister, Dr Kwame Addo-Kufuor, disclosed this to the Daily Graphic after the Tripartite Committee for the Voluntary Repatriation of Liberian Refugees in Ghana had issued a joint statement on the status of the exercise in Accra .
It was the outcome of a Third meeting of the Tripartite Committee for the voluntary repatriation of Liberian refugees in Ghana.
In the statement, the committee expressed their commitment to supporting the voluntary repatriation of Liberian refugees from Ghana to Liberia until March, 31, 2009.
It said a verification exercise would be conducted in mid-January, 2009, to ascertain the number of Liberian refugees in Ghana, determine those with Ghanaian family links, update their profile, and determine refugees' intentions to either return to Liberia or remain in Ghana.
"Following the verification exercise, the Government of Ghana and the UNHCR are encouraged to conduct an information campaign to inform the Liberian refugees opting to remain in Ghana of processes and procedures," it added.
In view of the challenges confronting the carting of their belongings and the nature of the bad road from Cote d’Ivoire to Liberia, the committee agreed to identify a sea-worthy vessel to use in addition to already existing modes of transportation.
"The government of Liberia will continue to make efforts towards creating an enabling environment to receive returnees, through development initiatives as part of the Poverty Reduction Strategy," it stated.
The committee stressed that reintegration opportunities, particularly in the area of skills training, micro-grants and micro-finance, would be made available to returnees who fulfil the criteria set by those programmes.
It acknowledged Ghana’s plans to relocate refugees from Buduburam to other parts of Ghana upon completion of the organised voluntary repatriation, stressing that "their status will be in accordance with national and regional instruments in force in Ghana".
Dr Addo-Kufuor said it was not the intention of the government to "push" the refugees out of the country but rather to pave the way for de-camping Buduburam township as a refugee camp to revert to its status as an ordinary Ghanaian town.
He said any Liberian who chose to stay in Ghana was welcome.
He explained that the verification exercise became necessary following the arrival of some refugees from Cote d’Ivoire.
6 firms to print ballot papers
Front Page: November 5, 2008.
Story: Albert K. Salia
SIX local printing houses have been given the contract to print the ballot papers for the December 7 general election and release them to the Electoral Commission (EC) this week.
The Director of Elections at the EC, Mr Albert Kofi Arhin, announcing this when he addressed security chiefs within the southern command, named the six companies, which are all Accra-based, as the Buck Press, Innolink, Yarsarko, Fonstad, Act Commercial and Check Point.
The day-long meeting was to enable the security chiefs to appraise themselves of the electoral processes, engage in test operations for communication and mobility and plan joint practical exercises against any security challenges that the elections may pose.
Present at the meeting were the Inspector-General of Police, Mr P. K. Acheampong, the Chief of the Defence Staff, Lt Gen J. B. Danquah, and the Director of the Ghana Immigration Service, Ms Elizabeth Adjei.
Mr Arhin said the EC would require a 24-hour guard during the printing of the ballot papers and added that it would, therefore, need the support of the security agencies during the printing of the papers.
He noted that the EC had often borne the brunt of the elections as its staff were often intimidated and beaten up.
Mr Arhin said the commission appreciated the role of the security services in the success of the elections.
According to him, after the printing of the ballot papers, the EC would still need security assistance to escort the papers and other election materials to the regions on the eve of the elections for the allocation and distribution of the materials to the polling stations.
Mr Arhin said other areas the EC needed security presence and protection were the counting of votes, the carting of ballot boxes to the collation centres, the Operations Room of the EC, the premises of the EC itself, as well as the places where electronic scoreboards would be mounted throughout the country.
He explained that the stakes in this year’s elections were high but gave the assurance that the EC would do what it could to ensure peaceful elections and urged the security agencies to support it with the requisite security.
Mr Arhin told the security chiefs that the presiding officers would be in charge of the elections at the various centres and urged them to co-operate with the officers.
He said the EC was aware that the security personnel could not cover the entire length and breadth of the country and had, therefore, issued out the list of flash points to the security chiefs.
The National Security Co-ordinator, Dr Sam Amoo-Ghartey, said the commitment of the country’s security system to ensure a secure and peaceful environment for free and fair elections was on course.
"This joint police/military exercise constitutes a vital part of the preparations of the election task force to ensure a congenial and secure environment for the forthcoming elections," he said.
He said the National Task Force had been decentralised and replicated in all the 10 regions and the 170 metropolitan, municipal and district assemblies, with non-political appointees as chairpersons.
He said the goal of the joint exercise in the internal security areas of operations was to synchronise and rehearse operational plans and procedures.
Dr Amoo-Ghartey expressed the hope that by the end of the exercise the roles and functions of all agencies involved would have been synchronised and integrated into a seamless operation machine to achieve the ultimate goal of ensuring a secure and enabling environment for a free, fair and transparent electoral process.
"Lest we forget, we are a people who have gone through a lot in our young history: We have been freed, we have been liberated, redeemed, revolutionised and eventually we have achieved democratic dispensation. This, we are sure, we are all determined to keep," he said.
The General Officer Commanding the Southern Command of the Ghana Armed Forces, Brigadier-General Emmanuel Okyere, announced a nation-wide simulation exercise on November 16, 2008 to test the preparedness of the security services for the December 7 polls.
He said journalists would be embedded in the exercise to erase any doubts about it.
Story: Albert K. Salia
SIX local printing houses have been given the contract to print the ballot papers for the December 7 general election and release them to the Electoral Commission (EC) this week.
The Director of Elections at the EC, Mr Albert Kofi Arhin, announcing this when he addressed security chiefs within the southern command, named the six companies, which are all Accra-based, as the Buck Press, Innolink, Yarsarko, Fonstad, Act Commercial and Check Point.
The day-long meeting was to enable the security chiefs to appraise themselves of the electoral processes, engage in test operations for communication and mobility and plan joint practical exercises against any security challenges that the elections may pose.
Present at the meeting were the Inspector-General of Police, Mr P. K. Acheampong, the Chief of the Defence Staff, Lt Gen J. B. Danquah, and the Director of the Ghana Immigration Service, Ms Elizabeth Adjei.
Mr Arhin said the EC would require a 24-hour guard during the printing of the ballot papers and added that it would, therefore, need the support of the security agencies during the printing of the papers.
He noted that the EC had often borne the brunt of the elections as its staff were often intimidated and beaten up.
Mr Arhin said the commission appreciated the role of the security services in the success of the elections.
According to him, after the printing of the ballot papers, the EC would still need security assistance to escort the papers and other election materials to the regions on the eve of the elections for the allocation and distribution of the materials to the polling stations.
Mr Arhin said other areas the EC needed security presence and protection were the counting of votes, the carting of ballot boxes to the collation centres, the Operations Room of the EC, the premises of the EC itself, as well as the places where electronic scoreboards would be mounted throughout the country.
He explained that the stakes in this year’s elections were high but gave the assurance that the EC would do what it could to ensure peaceful elections and urged the security agencies to support it with the requisite security.
Mr Arhin told the security chiefs that the presiding officers would be in charge of the elections at the various centres and urged them to co-operate with the officers.
He said the EC was aware that the security personnel could not cover the entire length and breadth of the country and had, therefore, issued out the list of flash points to the security chiefs.
The National Security Co-ordinator, Dr Sam Amoo-Ghartey, said the commitment of the country’s security system to ensure a secure and peaceful environment for free and fair elections was on course.
"This joint police/military exercise constitutes a vital part of the preparations of the election task force to ensure a congenial and secure environment for the forthcoming elections," he said.
He said the National Task Force had been decentralised and replicated in all the 10 regions and the 170 metropolitan, municipal and district assemblies, with non-political appointees as chairpersons.
He said the goal of the joint exercise in the internal security areas of operations was to synchronise and rehearse operational plans and procedures.
Dr Amoo-Ghartey expressed the hope that by the end of the exercise the roles and functions of all agencies involved would have been synchronised and integrated into a seamless operation machine to achieve the ultimate goal of ensuring a secure and enabling environment for a free, fair and transparent electoral process.
"Lest we forget, we are a people who have gone through a lot in our young history: We have been freed, we have been liberated, redeemed, revolutionised and eventually we have achieved democratic dispensation. This, we are sure, we are all determined to keep," he said.
The General Officer Commanding the Southern Command of the Ghana Armed Forces, Brigadier-General Emmanuel Okyere, announced a nation-wide simulation exercise on November 16, 2008 to test the preparedness of the security services for the December 7 polls.
He said journalists would be embedded in the exercise to erase any doubts about it.
Don't use small arms during elections
Page 31: November 4, 2008.
Story: Albert K. Salia
THE President of the West African Action Network on Small Arms (WAANSA), Mr Baffour Dokyi Amoa, has called on Ghanaians to avoid the use of small arms and light weapons during and after the December polls.
"WAANSA would like to take this opportunity to remind the good people of Ghana that it is ironic for anyone seeking to rule this country to want to destroy it in the first place," he said.
Mr Amoa made the call when WAANSA presented 4,000 of two posters it had printed to the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) to enable the NCCE to educate Ghanaians on the need to use the ballot to build the nation and not bullets to destroy it.
According to him, as Ghana’s elections were barely a month away, it was time for Ghanaians to act positively and peacefully.
"We should not act in ways that would cause offence. Neither should we make provocative pronouncements or conduct ourselves in ways that would satisfy our self-fulfilling prophecies," he said.
Mr Amoa said the unfortunate incidents in Fadama, Bawku, Gushiegu and Tamale in the Greater Accra, Upper East and Northern regions had reawakened the fears of the presence of illicit small arms and light weapons in the country.
He reminded Ghanaians of the irreparable damage and harm such weapons cause and urged those in possession of them to submit them to the security forces.
He said this was the time for youth leaders in the communities and political parties to advise their followers to work to protect the country.
Mr Amoa called on the Intra Party Action Committee (IPAC) and the Electoral Commission (EC) to intensify their interactions so as to build the confidence of all stakeholders to guarantee the credibility of the outcome of the elections.
A deputy chairperson of the NCCE in-charge of Programmes, Mr Baron Amoafo, who received the posters, commended WAANSA for the support.
He said the NCCE would use the posters to educate Ghanaians, particularly the political parties for an incident free elections.
Story: Albert K. Salia
THE President of the West African Action Network on Small Arms (WAANSA), Mr Baffour Dokyi Amoa, has called on Ghanaians to avoid the use of small arms and light weapons during and after the December polls.
"WAANSA would like to take this opportunity to remind the good people of Ghana that it is ironic for anyone seeking to rule this country to want to destroy it in the first place," he said.
Mr Amoa made the call when WAANSA presented 4,000 of two posters it had printed to the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) to enable the NCCE to educate Ghanaians on the need to use the ballot to build the nation and not bullets to destroy it.
According to him, as Ghana’s elections were barely a month away, it was time for Ghanaians to act positively and peacefully.
"We should not act in ways that would cause offence. Neither should we make provocative pronouncements or conduct ourselves in ways that would satisfy our self-fulfilling prophecies," he said.
Mr Amoa said the unfortunate incidents in Fadama, Bawku, Gushiegu and Tamale in the Greater Accra, Upper East and Northern regions had reawakened the fears of the presence of illicit small arms and light weapons in the country.
He reminded Ghanaians of the irreparable damage and harm such weapons cause and urged those in possession of them to submit them to the security forces.
He said this was the time for youth leaders in the communities and political parties to advise their followers to work to protect the country.
Mr Amoa called on the Intra Party Action Committee (IPAC) and the Electoral Commission (EC) to intensify their interactions so as to build the confidence of all stakeholders to guarantee the credibility of the outcome of the elections.
A deputy chairperson of the NCCE in-charge of Programmes, Mr Baron Amoafo, who received the posters, commended WAANSA for the support.
He said the NCCE would use the posters to educate Ghanaians, particularly the political parties for an incident free elections.
Friday, October 31, 2008
"Debate good for democracy"
Page 3: October 31, 2008.
Story: Albert K. Salia & Donald Ato Dapatem
THE Catholic Archbishop of Cape Coast, His Eminence Peter Cardinal Appiah Turkson, has expressed the hope that the conduct of the four leading presidential candidates in their debate last Wednesday would deepen the culture of political tolerance in the country.
He said seeing the four aspirants on the stage shaking hands and patting each other on the shoulder in a cordial manner was a great credit for the nation’s fledgling democracy and expressed the hope that their followers would emulate them to avoid violent clashes.
Cardinal Turkson made the remark at the end of the presidential debate organised by the Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA), a public policy institution.His comments were shared by other participants in the event, including a former Vice Chancellor of the University of Ghana, Prof. Ivan Addae-Mensah; a Research Fellow at the Institute of Democratic Governance (IDEG), Mr Kwesi Jonah; the Deputy Commissioner of the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE), Mrs Augustina Akumanyi; Dr K. Hiadze of the University of Ghana, and the Head of Conflict Prevention, Management and Resolution Department of the Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre, Dr Kwesi Aning.
They described the debate as a feather in the cap of the nation’s efforts at entrenching peace, stability and democracy in the country.
The four presidential aspirants who took part in the debate are Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo of the New Patriotic Party (NPP); Dr Paa Kwesi Nduom of the Convention People’s Party (CPP); Prof. John Evans Atta Mills of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) and Dr Edward Mahama of the People’s National Convention (PNC).
They were selected on the basis of their political parties having representation in Parliament.
The debate, which was live on Ghana Television and other broadcast media, was moderated by Prof. Kwame Karikari, the Executive Director of the Media Foundation for West Africa, and Mr Cyril Acolatse, a retired broadcaster.
Cardinal Turkson, who is the Chairman of the Presidential Debates Planning Committee, said there were many questions that had been reserved for the next debate scheduled to take place in Tamale on November 12, 2008.
Prof. Addae-Mensah said he was impressed with the delivery of the aspirants, adding that the candidates kept to the issues.
He said to enrich the next debate in Tamale, whatever lessons learnt at the Accra debate must guide the organisers.
On his part, Dr Hiadzi described the event as a good exercise that gave every candidate the opportunity to explain himself and applauded the fact that it was devoid of acrimony.
“The debate teaches us to be tolerant and secondly to be able to debate issues in an open environment without resort of violence,” he added.
Mr Jonah described the debate as good quality but he was of the view that the structure of the questions did not meet all expectations.
He said there should have been a question on the macro economy because that was how they would raise money to finance their programmes.
“On the whole, it was an improvement," he said, but pointed out that candidates could have been made to make opening statements because that would establish their stance and within that, establish their claims.
Mrs Akumanyi said, “It's nice to see all the contenders together debating in such a civil way which is taking us forward.”
She said it was high time the followers of political parties emulated the lessons arising out of the debate in their interactions.
Mrs Akumanyi said politics was not war or fight, but was about ideas and how a group of people, through the ballot box, could get the mandate of Ghanaians to rule and improve their lives.
Dr Aning said the greatest success of the presidential debate was seeing the candidates on the same stage in a friendly and open discussion.
“That should send a signal to followers of the various political parties that if the leaders are not fighting, it is important for them to co-exist,” he said.
Dr Aning said although the content of the messages might not have satisfied specific detail, the atmosphere of congeniality and respect gave “Ghanaians something for us to think about”.
He said seeing Mr Alan Kyerematen and Mr E. T. Mensah hold each other’s hands, whispering and smiling should be an abiding issue.
He said the first round of the debate itself provided much detail and specific responses but the concluding statements very disappointing.
According to him, the concluding statements should have been used by the candidates to rally their supporters and particularly the floating voters to their side but that was lacking.
Dr Aning said the format of the debate only provided the avenue for the candidates to repeat what they had been telling the electorate already.
He said a real debate should have afforded the candidates much more time to discuss topic by topic what they intended to do and have a thorough critique of their messages.
Story: Albert K. Salia & Donald Ato Dapatem
THE Catholic Archbishop of Cape Coast, His Eminence Peter Cardinal Appiah Turkson, has expressed the hope that the conduct of the four leading presidential candidates in their debate last Wednesday would deepen the culture of political tolerance in the country.
He said seeing the four aspirants on the stage shaking hands and patting each other on the shoulder in a cordial manner was a great credit for the nation’s fledgling democracy and expressed the hope that their followers would emulate them to avoid violent clashes.
Cardinal Turkson made the remark at the end of the presidential debate organised by the Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA), a public policy institution.His comments were shared by other participants in the event, including a former Vice Chancellor of the University of Ghana, Prof. Ivan Addae-Mensah; a Research Fellow at the Institute of Democratic Governance (IDEG), Mr Kwesi Jonah; the Deputy Commissioner of the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE), Mrs Augustina Akumanyi; Dr K. Hiadze of the University of Ghana, and the Head of Conflict Prevention, Management and Resolution Department of the Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre, Dr Kwesi Aning.
They described the debate as a feather in the cap of the nation’s efforts at entrenching peace, stability and democracy in the country.
The four presidential aspirants who took part in the debate are Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo of the New Patriotic Party (NPP); Dr Paa Kwesi Nduom of the Convention People’s Party (CPP); Prof. John Evans Atta Mills of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) and Dr Edward Mahama of the People’s National Convention (PNC).
They were selected on the basis of their political parties having representation in Parliament.
The debate, which was live on Ghana Television and other broadcast media, was moderated by Prof. Kwame Karikari, the Executive Director of the Media Foundation for West Africa, and Mr Cyril Acolatse, a retired broadcaster.
Cardinal Turkson, who is the Chairman of the Presidential Debates Planning Committee, said there were many questions that had been reserved for the next debate scheduled to take place in Tamale on November 12, 2008.
Prof. Addae-Mensah said he was impressed with the delivery of the aspirants, adding that the candidates kept to the issues.
He said to enrich the next debate in Tamale, whatever lessons learnt at the Accra debate must guide the organisers.
On his part, Dr Hiadzi described the event as a good exercise that gave every candidate the opportunity to explain himself and applauded the fact that it was devoid of acrimony.
“The debate teaches us to be tolerant and secondly to be able to debate issues in an open environment without resort of violence,” he added.
Mr Jonah described the debate as good quality but he was of the view that the structure of the questions did not meet all expectations.
He said there should have been a question on the macro economy because that was how they would raise money to finance their programmes.
“On the whole, it was an improvement," he said, but pointed out that candidates could have been made to make opening statements because that would establish their stance and within that, establish their claims.
Mrs Akumanyi said, “It's nice to see all the contenders together debating in such a civil way which is taking us forward.”
She said it was high time the followers of political parties emulated the lessons arising out of the debate in their interactions.
Mrs Akumanyi said politics was not war or fight, but was about ideas and how a group of people, through the ballot box, could get the mandate of Ghanaians to rule and improve their lives.
Dr Aning said the greatest success of the presidential debate was seeing the candidates on the same stage in a friendly and open discussion.
“That should send a signal to followers of the various political parties that if the leaders are not fighting, it is important for them to co-exist,” he said.
Dr Aning said although the content of the messages might not have satisfied specific detail, the atmosphere of congeniality and respect gave “Ghanaians something for us to think about”.
He said seeing Mr Alan Kyerematen and Mr E. T. Mensah hold each other’s hands, whispering and smiling should be an abiding issue.
He said the first round of the debate itself provided much detail and specific responses but the concluding statements very disappointing.
According to him, the concluding statements should have been used by the candidates to rally their supporters and particularly the floating voters to their side but that was lacking.
Dr Aning said the format of the debate only provided the avenue for the candidates to repeat what they had been telling the electorate already.
He said a real debate should have afforded the candidates much more time to discuss topic by topic what they intended to do and have a thorough critique of their messages.
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