Fighting the drug menace in Ghana

Pages 22-23: Daily Graphic, July 23, 2012. Article: Albert K. Salia “Traffickers care very little about the sanctions of the criminal justice system. Going to jail is just part of the cost of doing business. It’s a nuisance, not a deterrent” - Kurt Schmoke, one-time Mayor of Baltimore. IT IS a fact that many countries in the world are struggling with how to fight the drug menace. The drug problem is not peculiar to Ghana. However, many of these nations tailor their efforts at fighting the narcotic menace in a well-co-ordinated direction. They have strategic direction in which they pursue the fight of illicit drug trafficking and abuse. Crucial in this exercise is the enactment of a strong legislation and institutions with the requisite personnel to lead the onslaught against narcotic dealers. This is where Ghana appears to be lacking. As of now, there seem to be a lack of clear direction on a national narcotics strategy and thus, leaving the country at the mercy of the international/donor community whereby government accepts all external intervention programmes without local input. The Kufuor administration had good reasons to make narcotic offences unbailable. This has, however, not seen full implementation. Rather, some suspects have been granted bail and one wonders what might have happened to those cases. For instance, two suspects were granted bail on November 23, 2010 to enable the NACOB officials to travel to Panama to conduct further investigations. The question is, did NACOB officials embark on the trip? What was the outcome of their investigations and have those two suspects been acquitted and discharged or the case still hangs around their necks? A former Deptuy Attorney-General during the Kufuor Administration, Mr Kwame Osei-Prempeh was reported to have accused the NACOB Executive Secretary, Mr Yaw Akrasi Sarpong, of turning himself into an advocate for drug traffickers when the court granted the suspects bail. Besides this zig-zag application of the law, there appears to be no sustained development of personnel of NACOB. Although training is provided, the personnel are not motivateed to develop their careers due to their frequent changes and shuffling from one unit to the other. The argument is that such shuffling will prevent personnel from becoming too familiar with the terrain and becoming prone to corruption. But this is not acceptable because the use of a counter-intelligence unit or what the Customs Division of the Ghana Revenue Authority has set up, Internal Affairs, could also be replicated in the organisation to deal with corrupt tendencies can help. The current situation where new officers are appointed after every change of government and they have to take two to three years to build their capacity needs further interrogation. The element of uncertainty regarding changes to be made and the notion of “I will never get to the top”, rather fertilise the terrain for corrupt practices. Besides the well-known difficulties in fighting the drug menace, politicisation of the drug issue has assumed the biggest and greatest challenge in Ghana. It is no longer about how the battle is tackled, but which government or political party is really committed to fighting the drug menace. This in itself is not bad especially when political parties make electoral promises on how to deal with the drug menace on assumption of power. However, the way and manner it is carried out is the problem. The issues are not carried out holistically but tainted with party colours. Informing the public about the government’s effort at dealing with the drug situation is very welcome but telling the public how safe the country has become under a regime is not the way out. The debate should be about policy direction. Afterall, the number of arrests made does not indicate how successful a government has been in dealing with the drug menace. That is because the data released could be interpreted from two major perspectives. First, the more arrests made could be interpreted as the effect of an effective security system in place and secondly, as the result of the high prevalence of drugs in the country. Remaining silent on the issue does not also mean that there are no drugs in the country or the dealers see Ghana as a no-go area. That is why the issue of drugs should be dispasstionately looked at and a national policy crafted. The drug problem goes beyond law enforcement. It has demand reduction and treatment and rehabilitation components. These are the issues that should be addressed. That is why the United Nations, in its wisdom advised that combating the drug threat would require “comprehensive and multidisciplinary” strategies to cover programmes aimed at reducing illicit demand, reducing illicit drug cultivation and drug trafficking, prevent the use of financial and banking systems for drug money as well as promoting the effective treatment, rehabilitation and social reintegration. Fortunately, Parliament recently passed the Ghana Mental Health Bill which should be implemented to the letter to ensure that the treatment and rehabilitation component of the drug war is won. When it comes to law enforcement, the main focus should not be about stopping drugs from leaving the airport and coming into the country but it must as well include stopping criminals from enjoying the proceeds from their crime through the confiscation of their assets. While we still struggle with how to deal with cannabis, cocaine and heroin, the latest on the block is Methamphetamine, a white, odorless, crystalline powder that easily dissolves in water or alcohol.It is taken orally, by snorting the powder or needle injection, or smoking. It is the current moving and most trafficked drug emerging in West Africa with an estimated profit margin higher than cocaine. Recently, two laboratories were shut down in Nigeria for producing methamphetamine. It is suspected that there could be a laboratory in Ghana also producing methamphetamine following the recent arrests of some Ghanaians in Amsterdam, Holland , who had travelled from Accra. As recently as March 21, 2012, three persons were fined by the Accra High Court for attempted exportation of methamphetamine, whose offence is punishable by a fine under our laws. Ghana has a long a way to go in fighting the drug menace and we must all support the Narcotics Control Board in this national assignment. It is not about which government is in power. The ramifications of the drug problem are not bestowed on members of a political party but the nation as a whole. Apart from all that has been said “the drug war in Ghana cannot be fought around Political statements but with professional strategies and structures. If we leave political appointees to tell us what the situation is, we will only get what they want us to believe. The fight suffers from the use of political lenses in the running of the drug control institution; this is why we find ourselves in a stagnant situation. We can decide to do nothing and people will believe we are doing well. After all, the system only gets to talk about the drug situation when there is an arrest. What if we decide not to arrest? It may then mean, there is no drug problem. Or what if we decide to turn a blind eye. There will be no drug seizure reports and as such people will believe we are doing well.

EIU lauds creation of National Enforcement Body

Page 16: Daily Graphic, May 2, 2012. Story: Albert K. Salia THE Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) has described the setting up of a National Enforcement Body to monitor adherence to the Code of Conduct for political parties as a positive development for Ghana’s already enviable democratic credentials. The EIU is, therefore, hopeful that with the creation of the body, which has representatives from all sides to monitor and investigate abuses, it could go some way to ensure that the code was followed. In its April report, the EIU said it also gave the body the opportunity to prove that it was a serious institution, stressing that if it, however, “fails to act decisively against blatant breaches of the code, its creation could actually backfire and contribute to the undermining of the election’s legitimacy in the event of widespread scepticism and distrust.” On the government’s decision to boycott the Multi Media Group, the EIU said the decision did the government no favours with the electorate but rather provided an easy target for the opposition groups to claim that the government was acting in contravention of the country’s rights and laws regarding free speech. “That the government backtracked so quickly indicates that the move was probably not fully thought through and the level of criticism it prompted was most likely not expected. Such missteps in an election year serve as a reminder that the ruling party will be vulnerable come December 2012,” it said. It also said that the New Patriotic Party’s accusations of plans by the National Democratic Congress (NDC) to rig the December 2012 elections through the manipulating of the biometric register, is setting the “ground for post-electoral attacks by the NPP should it lose the election.” “If this type of rhetoric continues over the coming months, the legitimacy of the election results will be at risk, regardless of whether the polls were free and fair, as so many doubts are being sown within the electorate beforehand,” it said In its April 2012 Monthly Political Scene Review Report on Ghana, the EIU, a UK-based publishing think-tank, noted that in spite of calls for political parties to avoid inflammatory remarks and unfounded accusations, “the opposition, NPP, has been busily accusing the ruling NDC of attempting to rig the December elections through manipulating the biometric voter registration exercise that began in late March”. It said while the Convention People’s Party has expressed its confidence in the registration exercise, “the NPP has accused the NDC of planning to register minors to boost its numbers, as well as ordering its supporters to intimidate NPP members who attempt to register.” According to the EIU, “this type of attack on the registration process before it has even got up to full speed is worryingly symptomatic of the tenor of politics in the country at the moment.” It stated that “Such accusations without proof threaten to undermine public confidence in the election results and lay the ground for post-electoral attacks by the NPP should it lose the election.” Commenting on the establishment of a National Enforcement Body to monitor adherence to the Code of Conduct for Political Parties 2012, the EIU said the institution of the body should be a positive development for Ghana’s already enviable democratic credentials.

INCREASING JOB OPPORTUNITIES

Page 7: Daily Graphic, May 2, 2012 One of the major challenges that have confronted governments over the years is the high unemployment rate and the need to create more jobs. Although the government is the largest employer in the country, it has not been able to address the unemployment problem all alone due to financial constraints and the high demand from various sectors of the economy. It is in this respect that the private sector or the informal sector has been acknowledged as a key partner in job creation and a reduction in the rate of unemployment in the country. No wonder the private sector has often been touted by successive governments as the engine of growth for the national economy and development. As President Mills reiterated at this year’s May Day celebration in Sunyani in the Brong Ahafo Region, the government was determined to provide the necessary support for the private sector to create opportunity for growth and more jobs. However, the sector has not been able to live up to expectation in respect of job creation, mainly because it lacks the financial wherewithal to expand or grow and, consequently, be well positioned to create more jobs. The lack of financial resources is worsened by the unwillingness of commercial banks to offer loans to operators in the private sector. In instances when the banks offer loans, the rates are so high that private sector players are unable to afford or find it extremely difficult to break even. The DAILY GRAPHIC believes it is time for the commercial banks to change their posturing and design a favourable lending regime for the private sector to enable it to complement the government’s efforts at creating jobs for the people. It is very unfortunate that basic products such as toothpicks, toothpaste, matches and fruit juices that can be produced by small-scale industries in the country are all imported. What that means is that by patronising those imported products, we are creating jobs for people in the countries of origin of the products, while worsening the unemployment situation in Ghana. But if the small-scale industries are adequately supported financially to produce such items, they would also develop the capacity to create more jobs. We, therefore, appeal to the commercial banks to extend a helping hand to the private sector. In the same vein, we urge the government to back its commitment to support the private sector with concrete action by creating the enabling environment for growth. It is even more imperative for the government to go a step further by developing the capacity of the private sector to enable it to measure up to international standards and create the requisite jobs. The DAILY GRAPHIC believes that job creation and the fight against unemployment are a shared responsibility and all stakeholders, including the commercial banks, must play their part to ensure success. We hope this year’s May Day celebration will inspire all stakeholders to contribute their quota towards creating more jobs.

PROVIDING SAFETY ON OUR ROADS

Page 7: Daily Graphic, May 3, 2012. ROAD accidents remain a pain in the neck of not only the victims of those accidents who survive them but also their families and the country as a whole. The cost of accidents in respect of losses, time, injury, damage and rehabilitation is so high that everyone wishes there would be fewer accidents. Oftentimes, the bad nature of roads and recklessness on the part of some motorists are blamed for some of the major road accidents. It is in this vein that our governments have always undertaken major road rehabilitation, either by itself or with the assistance of donors, to put the roads in shape to facilitate the easy movement of persons and goods. Many of us have often greeted the inauguration of such roads with joy and happiness. A typical example is the George Walker Bush Highway from the Tetteh Quarshie Interchange to the Mallam Junction Interchange. Unfortunately, a few days after the inauguration of that road, concerns were raised over the safety provisions on that stretch following the death of about 23 people within a spate of two weeks. On Tuesday morning, residents of Mallam woke up to a bizarre accident in which a 40-footer articulated truck overturned from the top to the ground, killing its driver and the mate. That accident appears to be the first of its kind on any of the interchanges or flyovers Ghana has built. We do not think that the accident occurred because the driver was a foreigner and did not know the road very well. After all, a compatriot of his had driven through the same stretch. The Daily Graphic has cause to believe that that stretch of road needs many more road markings and lighting in view of the sharp nature of the interchange. It is true that some of our drivers are careless and overspeed, in spite of the warning signals. But it is also a fact that there are no warning signals to or from either end of the interchange to caution drivers on the dangers ahead. The siting of the directional signs from the Awoshie side of the interchange can be a bother to drivers because of the fact that they are remotely located. It seems our road engineers take some of these markings and warning signs for granted in the construction of our roads. For instance, which of the newly constructed roads has markings for bicycle users? Bicycle riders are seen every day competing with vehicles for the same space. The Daily Graphic believes that the public deserves not only good roads with clear markings but also require more education on road usage. We think the education should not be limited to commercial drivers only but should be started from the basic schools, so that road safety awareness can be inculcated in children from an early age. We think that the department responsible for road maintenance must also endeavour to provide humps, especially at accident-prone areas to compel speeding drivers to slow down. Enforcement of our traffic regulations is also key in preventing and reducing road accidents in the country. The nation and our families deserve better and we think we must all contribute our quota to reduce road accidents.

3 TO STAND TRIAL* For murder of Roko Frimpong, Nii Quartey

Front Page: Daily Graphic, May 3, 2012. Story: Albert K. Salia A bill of indictment is currently being prepared for the prosecution of three suspects who have been implicated in the gruesome murder of Roko Frimpong, a former Deputy Managing Director of the Ghana Commercial Bank (GCB), and Nii Kwaatei Quartey, a retired member of staff of the Public Works Department (PWD), in 2007. The suspects, who are currently on remand, are Samuel McCarthy, William Agbavor and Atta Kakra. They will be tried on two counts of conspiracy to commit murder and murder. Two other persons, identified as Tahiru Adams and Jonathan Abi, alias Joe, have also been implicated but they are said to be on the run. Police investigations have also established that while Nii Quartey’s murder was a contract killing, that of Roko Frimpong occurred when he resisted the demands of members of a robbery gang, some of whom were later contracted to kill Nii Quartey. The Attorney-General’s (A-G’s) Department has also requested for further information and clarification to help establish the involvement of a seventh person (name withheld). The information being demanded is an analysis of the itemised mobile phone bills of one of the suspects and the seventh person. A number of people have been in and out of custody in connection with the two murders since the incident took place within the Tema and Sakumono catchment areas in 2007. However, the Director of Operations of the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) of the Ghana Police Service, Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Mr Frank Kwoffie, told the Daily Graphic yesterday that the A-G’s Department had recommended the prosecution of the three persons on remand. He explained that the police would always act on any tangible information provided them but indicated that if the information could not be used to hold onto any suspect, then it meant those suspects would be freed. Responding to questions by this reporter in respect of a petition by the late Nii Quartey’s family, Mr Kwoffie explained that rumours and suspicions were not evidence and could not be used in any court of law. Expatiating further on the issue, he said although the deceased’s family believed that it was his rivals who had ordered his killing, there was no evidence to that effect. According to him, the family had always cited alleged verbal threats and the casting of insinuations as evidence that it was Nii Quartey’s rivals who were responsible for his murder. He said all those issues were included in the police report to the A-G’s Department but the department said it could not hold in court, especially when some of the people mentioned in the report also denied it. “The evidence to support the suspicion is crucial,” he added. Mr Kwoffie said what had been established was the fact that Adam Tahiru, one of the wanted persons, was the leader of the killers. He explained that although one of the suspects in custody, Samuel McCarthy, had given a description of the alleged contractor, it did not fit any of those initially arrested who were from Nii Quartey’s rival faction. For instance, whereas McCarthy had put the age of the alleged contractor at between 30 and 40 years, some of the suspected contractors were aged between 50 and 80 years. According to him, Tahiru’s arrest would be crucial in establishing the alleged contractor. In their April 12, 2012 petition to the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), the family complained that “the suspects who are moving about freely are a threat to the rest of the family members of the deceased”. The late Roko Frimpong was shot by some unidentified armed men at his Tema residence on June 28, 2007, while Nii Quartey was gunned down at his Tema Community Nine residence on July 17, 2007. Prior to his death, Nii Quartey was involved in a land dispute with some members of his kin at Berekuso. Apart from winning a case in court over the land, he and his rivals had been in and out of the Police Headquarters over the enforcement of the court order.

COMBINING ACCESS WITH QUALITY EDUCATION

Page 7: Daily Graphic, May 5, 2012. IT is often argued that education holds the key to development. It is also a fact that although education holds the key to development, the products of education can pose a threat to the security and stability of society if the education we provide our young people does not properly equip them for the world of work later in life. We believe it is in this vein that our governments have pursued various programmes, especially at the basic level, to equip our children, for a carpenter, a mason or any other artisan needs basic knowledge and access to information to perform effectively and efficiently. As an agricultural nation, our farmers can put to better use the knowledge and information shared with them by extension officers if these farmers had some good basic education. Even in the choice of leaders through elections, basic knowledge is desired to enable the citizenry to make informed decisions. That is why giving priority support to basic education should be seen as complementing the development of other sectors, not competing with them. The absence of quality basic education can be seen in the illiteracy level of the population and the slow growth of all sectors of the economy. It is in this vein that we commend the government for its efforts at improving access to education and retention of pupils in schools, especially those in deprived communities, through the Ghana School Feeding Programme (GSFP) with the support of Dubai Cares, a non-governmental organisation. While commending the government for such positive measures to improve access to education, we believe attention must also be paid to the quality of education provided the pupils who stay in the schools. It is of no use retaining pupils in schools if we cannot provide them with quality education that will empower them to be of service to themselves, their families and society at large. Often, when results of the Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) are released, many parents become worried over what grades their children obtain. In fact, there are a number of communities where schools have scored zero per cent in the BECE over the last decade. The Daily Graphic believes that while addressing the retention issues of pupils, we must also seek solutions to the problem of quality education. We know that efforts are being made to provide shelter for pupils who study under trees. But what efforts are we making to address the problem of the shortage of teachers and ensuring that they provide quality teaching for the pupils? What about the provision of textbooks and other learning materials? The Daily Graphic thinks that the problems in education must be holistically addressed. We, therefore, call on all stakeholders to emulate the gesture of Dubai Cares to partner the government in other areas to provide quality education for our children. We must avoid the situation where we get so many children in school but they end up without employable skills because they did not have well-trained teachers with the requisite knowledge, commitment and motivation to equip them for the world of work.

Drug dealer arrested

Page 3: The Mirror, May 5, 2012. By Albert K. Salia A 38 YEAR-OLD Nigerian, who allegedly outwitted officials of the Narcotics Control Board (NACOB) and other security personnel at the Kotoka International Airport with substances suspected to be cocaine, has been arrested at the Neoplan Station in Accra. John Amechi, who arrived from Venezuela two weeks ago, was arrested at the Neoplan Station at the Kwame Nkrumah Circle in Accra at about 10 a.m. on Tuesday. He was on board a nigerian-bound vehicle about to depart for Nigeria. Amechi and the substances, which tested positive after a laboratory test, have been handed over to NACOB for further investigations. The Accra Regional Police Commander, Deputy Commissioner of Police Mr Patrick Timbillah, told newsmen in Accra that following a tip-off, police personnel accosted Amechi at the Neoplan Station. He said some whitish substance concealed in a black polythene bag in the suspect’s luggage was found when a search was conducted at the scene of arrest. Mr Timbillah commended the informant who gave the police the tip-off. He reminded Ghanaians that policing was a shared responsibility and not the preserve of the police alone, pointing out that police operations depended so much on intelligence hence the need for members of the public to see themselves as partners of the police in combating crime.

Micro finance manager arrested for fraud

Page 30: The Mirror, May 5, 2012. By Albert K. Salia THE manager of Gold Consult Micro-Finance Limited, Ebenezer Inkum, has been arrested for allegedly defrauding some clients of the company to the tune of more than GH¢20,000. Inkum claims to have engaged 13 staff members who went round the markets in Accra to convince traders to save with his company for loans in return. Although he claimed to have given out loans to some of the clients, Inkum could, however, not refund the savings of other traders to them. He was arrested after eight of the clients reported his conduct to the Adabraka police. The Crime Officer of the Adabraka Police Station, Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Mr Ebenezer Nketiah, told The Mirror that when the police requested for Inkum’s company bank statement, there was nothing in the account. He said investigations have so far revealed that Inkum often told his clients that after saving with the company for between two to three months, they (clients) would be entitled to loans based on their savings. Mr Nketiah said some of the clients have saved between GH¢100 to GH¢3,000. According to him, investigations have also revealed that the company, although registered at the Registrar-General’s Department, was not licenced by the Bank of Ghana to engage in micro-finance activities. Inkum, he said, told the police that the company started operations in October last year. While this reporter was at the Adabraka Police Station, a victim of the Gold Consult Micro-Finance Limited, scam, Mr Francis Sebuna, who heard of the arrest of Inkum, rushed to the station with a letter of guarantee from Inkum for him (Sebunu) to take away three computers and an air-conditioner from the office in the event that he (Inkum) was unable to refund an amount of GH¢524 to him on a day they agreed on. The letter, dated April 24, 2012 and jointly signed by Inkum and Mr Sebunu read: “I Ebenezer Inkum on behalf of Gold Consult Micro-Finance Ltd owe Mr Francis Sebuna (sic) an amount of GH¢525 and promise to pay by Friday, April 27 2012. He has the right to take away three computers and one air-conditioner if I fail to pay the money on the said date.”

Two car snatchers arrested

Page 30: The Mirror, May 5, 2012. By Albert K. Salia TWO persons who allegedly snatched a taxi at Amasaman near Accra a fortnight ago and sent it to Kumasi to sell have been arrested. Emmanuel Asanboh alias Asamoah, 20, and Michael Donkor, 31, were arrested by the Sofoline police in Kumasi upon a tip-off. Asanboh, Asamoah and the taxi they snatched have since been brought back to Accra. Efforts are being made to trace the driver of the taxi whom the suspects claim they hit with an empty beer bottle after which they dumped him by the road side. Briefing newsmen in Accra last Saturday, April 28, 2012, the Deputy Accra Regional Police Commander, Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCOP), Mr Christian Tetteh Yohuno, said Asanbo and Asamoah claimed that they hired the car from the Aphrodisiac Night Club area at dawn on April 27, 2012, to Amasaman. The driver, he said, allegedly charged a fee of GH¢24. While on their way, Mr Yohuno said, Asanboh, also known as Ziggy, bought a bottle of beer at Domi before they continued the journey to Amasaman. According to him, Asanboh was alleged to have asked the driver to pull up to enable him (Asanboh) answer to nature's call. He said just when the driver did, Asanboh started hitting him with the beer bottle after Asamoah had allegedly pointed a toy pistol at the driver. Mr Yohuno said Asanboh and Asamoah then allegedly dumped the driver by the road side after injuring him, drove the car to the Suame Magazine in Kumasi for sale. Upon reaching the Suame Magazine, Asanboh and Asamoah, he said, were allegedly advised to take the car to the road side mechanics for sale. Mr Yohuno said the Sofoline police were then hinted by some of the mechanics in Kumasi that they suspected that the car being offered for sale was a stolen one since there were no documents covering it. He said when the police in Kumasi moved to arrest them, Asanboh and Asamoah allegedly confessed to have snatched the car in Accra and had brought it to Kumasi to sell.

WELL DONE, EC, BUT …

Page 7: Daily Graphic, May 7, 2012. THE 40-day nation-wide biometric voters registration (BVR) exercise officially ended on Saturday, May 5, 2012. If there is anything to go by, then the mad rush of Ghanaians to register, especially during the first three phases of the exercise, is an indication that the exercise has been a success. We must, therefore, pad ourselves on the back. From the technical and human perspectives, the exercise had its challenges but those difficulties seemed to have been overcome as it entered its fourth and final phase. Although official figures are yet to be put out, we believe the Electoral Commission (EC) may achieve its target of registering 12 million voters. The low turnout at various registration centres during the fourth and final phase of the exercise can only point to the anxiety and desire among many eligible voters to have their names on the electoral roll for the 2012 general election which compelled them to register during the first three phases of the exercise. We, however, believe it will not be out of place for the EC to give serious thought to extending the exercise in areas which recorded hitches, including violence, shortage of materials and breakdown of equipment during the first two phases of the exercise. The Daily Graphic is also concerned about the high number of cases of double registration recorded in the first three phases. The 8,000 figure, to us, is on the high side and we urge the EC to clean the register of any unqualified voter. We believe the EC and Ghanaians in general have learnt great lessons from the exercise and should begin taking steps to prepare for the general election in December 2012. The Daily Graphic appeals to the EC to begin to look for solutions to address the large number of voters who may turn up at particular polling stations, especially those stations which recorded high turn-outs during the first and second phases of the BVR exercise. This is because all those who registered at such stations and are desirous of voting must be allowed to do so. That is the only way we will allow the will of the people to prevail, instead of allowing others to impose their authority on us. The Daily Graphic believes that the elections will be peaceful if Ghanaians abide by the rules of the game and are also tolerant of one another’s views. We hope that all the political parties which will take part in the elections have a duty to themselves and the country to appoint well-trained agents to observe the elections on their behalf. That is necessary if the country is to experience vigilance on polling day to avoid disputes over the release of results from the polling stations through to the constituency levels. Most of the confusion that characterised the BVR exercise resulted from the lack of knowledge of the rules and regulations governing the exercise. We need no reminder that the whole world is looking at the way Ghana will successfully organise this year’s elections. The country is beginning to suffer from the unwarranted violence, acrimony and hate speech that is becoming part of our politics as speculators dictate the direction of the economy for fear that the elections may not be peaceful. We cannot afford to do anything to undermine the confidence reposed in the country by our well-wishers, including our development partners.

‘Clergy should not shy away from national issues’

Front Page: Daily Graphic, May 7, 2012 Story: Albert K. Salia THE Archbishop Emeritus of Kumasi, the Most Rev Peter Akwasi Sarpong, has urged the clergy not to shy away from commenting on issues affecting the state. “If the church is silent over the ludicrous and perplexing issues affecting the nation; if the church is not to be involved in the affairs of the nation without being accused of meddling in politics, then what is the church for?” he asked, and reminded the clergy not to give in to those who criticised the church for doing politics and being unpatriotic. “If we follow Jesus, we will see and hear Him say that political intimidation, bigotry and deceit are inhuman and that the church must stand up against them,” he said, and stressed that “the church’s role is not to please human beings; it is to please Jesus Christ who has clearly and loudly said ‘Follow me’”. The Most Rev Sarpong said this when he launched the Golden Jubilee of the National Catholic Secretariat (NCS) in Accra on Friday, May 4, 2012. The anniversary is on the theme, “NCS @ 50 – The Church in Ghana in Service of Reconciliation, Justice and Peace”. He said if sections of society would condemn and criticise the church for its comments on national issues, it could only be detrimental to the state and stressed that “we Ghanaians must know that without criticism, freedom yields to totalitarianism, justice gives way to exploitation, charity recedes into ruthlessness, peace dissolves into rivalry and hostility”. Although the NCS was established in 1960 as the executive arm of the Ghana Catholic Bishops Conference (GCBC), it was registered as a corporate entity in 1962. With five departments, the NCS is responsible for implementing the decisions and policies of the GCBC. The Most Rev Sarpong said when the church commented on educational or health issues, it was on a complementary basis with the view to assisting the state to fill in where the state fell short, stressing that “there is nothing like Catholic health and government health; it is the same health we are concerned about”. He also said the charge to cast out devils included “the devil of oppression, the devil of hedonism, the devil of political intimidation and deceit, the devil of the ethics that exclude God, the devil of the callous destruction of the family and all that this implies, the devil of new abominable habits entering our country, the devil of diseases, the devil of ignorance, the devil of poverty, the devil of abortion, the devil of rape, the devil of violence, the devil of vendetta”. “It is these and many other devils that the church in Ghana, in pursuit of peace, justice and reconciliation, has waged a relentless war against in the past 50 years,” he added. He noted that the communiques issued by the GCBC did not seek to praise any political party or persons and that they spoke the truth as it was and what they said was accepted and respected by the nation, although “we are sometimes condemned for making innocuous suggestions for the good of the nation”. The Most Rev Sarpong said the question of justice and peace formed part of the church’s mission of promoting human life through education, health and social welfare which alleviated poverty. He said the performance of the Catholic Church so far demonstrated that the church was still needed in the promotion of reconciliation, justice and peace for the country. He, therefore, asked the leadership of the NCS to use the Golden Jubilee celebration to ponder over whether the church in Ghana had “completely lived up to its ideal of effectively being at the service of reconciliation, justice and peace by offering itself as one of the principal agents under the judgement of the enduring values of the Gospel of Jesus Christ: Freedom, justice, peace, charity, compassion and reconciliation”. “In short, have we made the church absolutely necessary by proclaiming, without compromise, the dignity and worth of every person in Ghana?” he asked. In a goodwill message, the President of the GCBC, the Most Reverend Joseph Osei-Bonsu, expressed the hope that the anniversary would lead to a restoration of good relations in the church and in the state. “I would want it to be a year in which justice and peace will be championed everywhere; a year in which people’s human rights will be respected,” he said. The Most Rev Osei-Bonsu paid glowing tribute to the founding fathers of the NCS for their pioneering work in the midst of great difficulties and hardships.

Korle-Bu records 5,000 neurological cases in 2010.

Page 32: Daily Graphic, May 8, 2012. Story: Albert K. Salia THE Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital recorded more than 5,000 cases of neurological disorders in 2010. What is alarming about the problem is the fact that out of the more than 100 patients who attended, five of them reported with broken spines. Neurological disorders also constitute about 15 per cent of admissions at the nation’s premier hospital. Although the figures for 2011 are yet to be released, a neuro-surgeon at the Neuro-Surgical Unit of the hospital, Dr Thomas Dakurah, told the Daily Graphic that the figures were alarming and called for urgent steps to address the situation. Neurological disorders are conditions that affect the nervous system, comprising the brain, the spinal cord and the nerves. The disorders cause deterioration in the movement, speech, balance and co-ordination of victims and, at worse, can lead to memory loss. Expatiating on the problem in an interview, Dr Dakurah said although neurological disorders could be congenital, most of them were acquired. He said the congenital problems could mostly be identified in patients suffering from hydrocephalus (patients with abnormal heads), persons born with a swell at the back and myelomeningocoele, a deformity in the spinal cord. He said most of the congenital cases could be helped if the problem was detected and reported early. According to Dr Dakurah, acquired neurological disorders included patients suffering from stroke, psychological trauma as a result of accidents, injury to the head, meningitis, epilepsy and cynosis. He explained, for instance, that persons suffering from hypertension, diabetes and high cholesterol, which many people acquire through lifestyles, were predisposed to getting stroke. He said the most common neurological disorders were low back pain, neck pain and numbness. Regrettably, he said, most people who suffered from these disorders believed it was normal but paid a heavy price when they deteriorated into stroke or paralysis. He said it was important that people sought full neurological assessment to determine the extent of damage or disorder before embarking on any form of treatment. He said as a result of space challenges at the Outpatients Department (OPD) of the hospital, the unit only attended to OPD cases every Thursday, from 2 p.m. to 10 p.m., stressing. “We sometimes go beyond 11 p.m.” That, Dr Dakurah explained, was because some of the patients travelled from across the country and other parts of the sub-region to be attended to at Korle Bu because the hospital had the expertise to deal with the problem.

SPEAK OUT ON NATIONAL ISSUES

Page 7: Daily Graphic, May 8, 2012. THE Archbishop Emeritus of Kumasi, the Most Rev Peter Akwasi Sarpong, might have stirred up a real hornets’ nest when he called on the clergy not to shy away from commenting on issues affecting the state. In time past, communiques issued by the Ghana Catholic Bishops Conference (GCBC) and the synods of the Presbyterian Church of Ghana and the Methodist Church of Ghana were often looked forward to by all. In critical times in the past, the pastoral letters of the Catholic Church touched on the conduct of national affairs, such that even non-Catholics sought after them because the epistles offered hope for the future. As recently as during the Kufuor era, the GCBC took a firm position concerning the removal of Religious and Moral Education from the curriculum of basic and second-cycle institutions until it was reinstated. The conference also took a firm position on the issue of voter verification during the just ended biometric voters registration exercise. Although the GCBC continues to address issues of national importance, most of the clergy shy away from commenting on national issues for fear of being verbally attacked or tagged as belonging to one political party or another. Indeed, think-tanks have also recently received their share of labelling and verbal vituperations. But this is where we disagree with those members of the clergy and respected citizens who have decided not to comment on or discuss issues affecting the state. And, as the Most Rev Sarpong said, refusing to comment on national issues for fear of being condemned or criticised by sections of society could only be detrimental to the state. Ghana has had a tortuous journey in its quest for democracy and we cannot afford to let it slip off since, as he said, “... without criticism, freedom yields to totalitarianism, justice gives way to exploitation, charity recedes into ruthlessness, peace dissolves into rivalry and hostility”. We need not also forget the popular Akan saying that he who beats the path will never know that the path is not straight. That is why the Daily Graphic thinks that if our beloved country is to reach its glorious destination, the collective effort of all of us is needed in thought, word or deed. It is, therefore, incumbent on every individual or organisation to contribute its quota to the holistic development of the country. We believe the clergy will be doing this country, their calling and themselves a great disservice if they remain mute on vital national issues. After all, even in critical times under military regimes, our clergy found their voices to talk about issues affecting the state. The Church of God exists to serve and protect its members and not please any political party or persons. The church does not have to wait for conflict, violence or disease to break out before acting. It must seek to prevent them now. For those who have made it a habit of castigating or pouring invectives on our clergy and respected citizens, they must bear in mind that insults do not provide food, peace, health or even a safe haven in times of need. They also need not forget about the critical role played by members of the clergy when the country almost went to the brink after the 2008 general election. Are such critics suggesting that the value of the clergy can only be found in times of crisis? We must appreciate the fact that the key drivers of democracy include freedom of political expression, freedom of speech and freedom of the press, so that citizens are adequately informed and be able to vote according to their own interests.

Desist from comments that incite violence - Baffour

Page 17: Daily Graphic, May 9, 2012. Story: Albert K. Salia THE Supreme Knight of the Knights of Marshall, Sir Knight Victor Derx Baffour, has called on Ghanaians to desist from justifying comments that seek to incite violence and conflict in the country. He reminded Ghanaians that the road to the present stable democratic dispensation had been long and difficult hence the need for a greater determination and tenacity of purpose to create and sustain the peace in the country today. He, therefore, urged Ghanaians to work towards the maintenance of peace in the country and ensure that everything that does not promote peace, especially conflict and violence, was put to an end. Sir Knight Baffour made the call in a speech to commemorate the feast of the Knights of Marshall at the Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Winneba on Sunday. Present at the ceremony were the Deputy Supreme Knight, Worthy Brother Ekow Paintsil, the Executive Secretary at the Supreme Secretariat, Sir Knight John Abraham, and the Supreme Master of Ceremonies, Worthy Brother Mark Taylor. The Knights of Marshall is a Catholic friendly society seeking to promote charity, unity and fraternity in the Catholic Church. Members of the Noble Order, drawn from Saltpond and Agona Swedru joined their counterparts in Winneba to celebrate the feast of Sir James Marshall, through whose efforts the Catholic Church was re-established in Ghana in 1880. Sir Knight Baffour said the practice of democracy was a call to respect divergent opinions and help the people to harness the differences for the total development of the people. He said the existence of different political parties were essential for any true democracy to be practiced, stressing that “The differences in political ideology should, however, not divide us.” Sir Knight Baffour, therefore, admonished that rancour and acrimony needed not to characterise politics in the country since the goal of each political persuasion was to achieve good and peaceful governance. He said any elections in the country should, therefore, be seen as providing an arena for the healthy contest of ideas and not about inciting people against each other. He expressed regret about the violence that characterised the recent biometric voters registration exercise in the country. Sir Knight Baffour urged Christians, particularly Marshallans, not to look on unconcerned since the cost of any civil strife would be too much for Ghanaians to bear. “To avert this looming and disturbing image, it must be the duty of every Marshallan to double his/her efforts towards deepening democratic rule in Ghana and the sub-region,” he said. In line with that, he said, the Knights of Marshall would mount a crusade to caution Ghanaians “against acts, omissions, hate speeches and inflammatory utterances that threaten the peace and stability of our country.” “As we commemorate this year’s feast day, lets us reflect on our roles as Marshallans in the promotion of peace and the entrenchment of democratic rule in Ghana and the West-African sub-region,” he said. Sir Knight Baffour said peace could only be certain when the citizen’s personal freedom was evidently assured because he or she was governed by the rule of law, stressing that “such a milieu exists when democratic rule is entrenched.”

LET’S CO-OPERATE FOR THE GAS TO FLOW

Page 7: Daily Graphic, May 9, 2012 THE role of energy in the economic transformation and development of any nation cannot be overemphasised. Indeed, it is one of the most critical factors that have the capacity to drive up or drive down an economy and, by extension, undermine or improve the standard of living of the people. For many years, this country, in the face of rising crude oil prices, has sought to explore the greater use of gas as a cheaper means of meeting its energy requirements. In particular, given that power generation at the Aboadze Thermal Plant using crude oil has proved to be more expensive and, therefore, not cost effective for consumers of power, the resort to gas has been widely touted as the panacea, largely on account of its lower cost. However, this solution has, on many occasions, proved elusive as the supply of gas, mainly from the much talked about West African Gas Pipeline, has, at best, been erratic. In critical periods when the system has been relied upon to deliver the gas, it has failed woefully and, in so doing, disrupted energy production at Aboadze and other areas. For this reason, it is great news that the government has been able to secure $1 billion from the China Development Bank (CDB) to fund the development of gas infrastructure in the Western Region, work on which has commenced in earnest. There is no doubt that the scaling of this hurdle is a huge commercial and financial feat chalked up by the government. The completion of this gas project in the Western Region will, among key objectives, ensure a steady and reliable supply of gas from the Jubilee Field to the Aboadze plant. This will reduce the cost of generating power at the plant, bring down the cost at which power will be sold to the Volta River Authority (VRA) and eventually significantly reduce the electricity bill of consumers. Additionally, the new gas infrastructure will help ensure the steady and reliable supply of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) to consumers all year round and thereby bring more relief to consumers and also promote socio-economic development. This is in addition to the thousands of jobs and the huge incomes it will provide for Ghanaians, particularly those in the Western Region. It is against such a background that we appeal to farmers and other stakeholders at Domunli and other areas in the Western Region where the gas infrastructure is being developed to co-operate with the contractors executing the job to finish it on time. We urge those computing the payment of compensation to the farmers to do a diligent and transparent job, so that the requisite level of peace and tranquillity will exist to facilitate the timeous execution of the project. This, undoubtedly, is one of the biggest national projects which will help transform and bring bigger dividends to the country and we all have a duty to work towards its success.

National Institute OF Health Gives $5m To K-Bu

BACK PAGE: Daily Graphic, May 11, 2012. Story: Albert K. Salia The National Institute of Health (NIH) of the United States of America has given a $5 million grant to the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital to co-ordinate a research into the cause of the increasing kidney-related infections in five African countries because of the alarming rate at which people in their productive ages of 20 and 50 years are developing kidney problems. The study will help establish whether the problem is genetical or there are other causes. Besides Ghana, the other countries included in the study are Nigeria, Ethiopia, Kenya and South Africa. A Nephrologist Consultant, Dr Charlotte Osafo, told the Daily Graphic yesterday that the five-year project would help “us know what is it that is causing this problem among the productive age in Ghana and the rest of the continent”. She said the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital had attended to kidney patients as young as 16 years whereas in the developed countries, many of the kidney patients are beyond 60 years. She said a team from the NIH which assessed the facilities at the hospital were highly impressed with what they saw and gave approval for the release of the grant. “If you compare the chronic cases we have here to those in Europe and the America’s you will observe that whereas their patients are from 60 years and above, ours involve people between the ages of 20 and 50 years,” she said. Moreover, she said, the Dialysis Unit of the teaching hospital of which she is the head, was attending to more patients since 2009 after the launch of the first-ever World Kidney Day activities in the country. According to Dr Osafo, other clinical units, particularly those handling diabetic and hypertensive cases, were referring patients to the Renal Unit for care. She explained that uncontrolled diabetes and hypertension could degenerate into kidney problems. Giving statistics on the number of kidney admissions since 2009, Dr Osafo said out of the 2,332 admissions at the Department of Medicine (Medical Block), 387 representing 16 per cent of the in-patients were kidney related. In 2010, the number increased to 437 patients representing 21.4 per cent of the 2,491 admissions at the department which again shot up to 627 patients in 2011, representing 23.3 of the 2,687 cases of admissions. Dr Osafo said from less than 50 patients who were on dialysis in 2006, the number had increased to 140 cases. The figure, she explained, formed less than 10 per cent of those suffering from chronic kidney problems and had to be put on dialysis. Dr Osafo said the current Dialysis Centre had outgrown its size and needed to be expanded to take on more patients. She explained that the centre was set up to host five dialysis machines but now accommodated 15 machines. She said the centre used to operate three times a week but now ran a 24/7 service to enable it to provide for patients suffering from chronic kidney ailments.

‘POISONOUS’ GIRL IN POLICE GRIP

Front Page: Daily Graphic, May 12, 2012. Story: Albert K. Salia A 13-year-old junior high school (JHS) student who allegedly attempted to poison her father for frequently molesting her has been arrested by the police in Accra. The suspect is alleged to have put some poison meant for killing rats in a bowl of konkonte her father had sent her to buy for him on May 8, 2012. Although initial reports said the teenager had taken the decision to poison her father for reprimanding her for her alleged flirtations with men, the student (name withheld) reportedly told the police that her father, Frederick Okine, who works with the Ministry of Health, had been molesting her. The suspect, who has since been released to her biological mother, then felt that the only way to end the molestations was to poison her father. The Public Relations Officer of the Domestic Violence and Victims Support Unit (DOVVSU) of the Ghana Police Service, Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Mr Freeman Tettey, who confirmed the incident to the Daily Graphic yesterday, said Mr Okine’s alertness saved his life. Mr Tettey explained that after taking in the first ball of the konkonte, Mr Okine detected a funny taste in the food and immediately called his daughter to question her. According to police officer, the suspect allegedly informed her father that it was her ex-stepmother who had put some chemicals in the food. But when the father insisted that his ex-wife would not do that, the girl allegedly admitted putting the poison in the food. Mr Tettey said Mr Okine then took the girl to the Tesano Office of DOVVSU where she was arrested. Sources at the Tesano DOVVSU told this reporter that the complainant, after lodging the complaint, had sought to withdraw the case. They, however, said the police would have to investigate the matter to establish the truth or otherwise of the matter.

KIDNEY TRANSPLANT IN GHANA

Front Page: Daily Graphic, May 14, 2012. Story: Albert K. Salia DOCTORS at the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital (KBTH) will begin undertaking kidney transplantation in the last quarter of this year. This will bring great relief to many kidney patients in the country who need kidney transplant but cannot afford the high cost of travelling and transplantation abroad. Since 2008, the nation’s premier hospital has undertaken 12 kidney transplants with the assistance of a team of transplant surgeons from Birmingham in the United Kingdom and the Transplant Links Community. Three of those transplants were performed in April this year. The Birmingham team is expected to perform another batch of transplants in October this year, after which the Ghanaian team will take over. However, Korle-Bu has sponsored the training of a consultant urologist, Dr Bernard Morton, as a transplant surgeon to lead a local team to bring hope to many kidney patients. Currently, the Dialysis Unit at Korle-Bu, which used to operate three times a week, now runs 24-hour, seven-day-a-week service because of the increasing number of chronic patients. An excited Chief Executive Officer of the hospital, Professor Nii Otu Nartey, in an interview with the Daily Graphic, said Korle-Bu would endeavour to provide the logistics and facilities to ensure a smooth take-off and sustenance of kidney transplantation by the Ghanaian team. Throwing more light on the preparation, Dr Morton said the hospital had come a long way since 2008 after the first transplant. He said the initial idea was for the local team to start the transplants after a period of assistance from the Birmingham team, but there had been a lot of ups and downs. He said he was grateful to the CEO of the hospital for standing firm and providing all the encouragement and support for the national project to be realised. He said the team would continue with the usual living donor practice where a living person would agree to donate one of his or her kidneys to a recipient. Dr Morton was hopeful that with time, the country would come up with an elaborate legal framework to support the cadaveric donations. Cadaveric donation is where the kidney of a brain-dead person but whose heart continues to beat is harvested and given out to someone who needs a kidney transplant. He said what the hospital needed was a complete centre, either as part of the Urological Centre or a separate transplant unit, which could be expanded to a tissue transplant centre. Asked about the availability of the requisite human resource, Dr Morton said, “We have demonstrated that we can do it after the first transplant in 2008.” He recalled how he and Dr Charlotte Osafo, a nephrologist consultant at the hospital, had to virtually plan and implement — preparing patients, counselling them and their relatives and handling the post-transplant management issues. He said the team of local personnel had continued to be around and actively taken part in the other transplantations and said the only new development was his training as a transplant surgeon. Dr Morton was hopeful that with time, a complete centre like the National Cardio-Thoracic Centre, the Burns and Plastic Surgery Centre would be set up. That, he explained, was necessary because as the number of patients increased, there would be the need for a separate clinic to handle the cases, stressing that “all those having the kidney transplants will need close monitoring by the doctors and compliance by the patients”. For her part, Dr Osafo, who is the Head of the Dialysis Unit of Korle-Bu, said the local renal team had built the needed experience to support kidney transplant locally. She said besides the transplant, some of the nephrologists at the unit were considering developing a peritoneal dialysis programme, a form of self-administered dialysis, to help ease the pressure on the dialysis machines. She expressed worry over the alarming rate at which people in their productive ages of between 20 and 50 years were developing kidney problems in Ghana. Dr Osafo said the University of Ghana Medical School, in collaboration with other centres in Africa and the USA, had applied for a grant from the National Institute of Health (NIH) to study the genetic causes of kidney disease in Africa. The outcome of that important application, she said, should be known later this year. If successful, then patients with kidney disease would be studied at the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital.

BOOSTING THE SHEA-NUT INDUSTRY

Page 7: Daily Graphic, May 16, 2012. FOR a long time, the shea nut industry has remained one of the most neglected sectors of our economy. Until recently, shea nut farmers in the three northern regions were not benefiting from any floor price as pertains in the cocoa industry. And when the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD) decided to announce a floor price for the produce as part of the government’s efforts at improving the lot of the pickers and farmers, as well as develop a profitable shea nut industry, the price was so low that the National Association of Shea Nut Farmers, Processors and Buyers raised the alarm bells. That was because the price offered was far too lower than the prevailing open market price and that did not augur well for the players in the industry. When that issue came up last year, the Daily Graphic called on COCOBOD to review the price because offering low prices for a commodity which was priced high on the market was not only a disincentive to the farmers and pickers but also provided fertile grounds for smuggling. We said so with the conviction that the motive for fixing a floor price for shea nut was not to discourage the farmers but encourage others, particularly the youth who often chased non-existent white-collar jobs, to join in the business. Over the years, shea nut farmers in the three northern regions have been going through terrible times, including non-recognition and suffering from snake bites. We believe the shea nut industry remains one basket for economic success and improvement in the lives of the people of the three northern regions. It is a fact that some of us do not appreciate the benefits of shea butter, for which reason we do not attach any importance to the shea nut industry. Shea butter is a medicinal source of healing for burns, sores, dandruff, stretch marks, wrinkles, among many health conditions. It also remains an excellent body lotion during the Harmattan season. Industrially, shea butter is a key ingredient in most cosmetics, moisturising creams, hair conditioners for dry and brittle hair and emulsions. It is also occasionally used in the preparation of chocolate. The Daily Graphic believes the country will benefit greatly from this national asset if we are to invest in it and add value to the produce. That is why we welcome the inauguration by the Vice-President, Mr John Mahama, of the GH¢30 million Shea Butter Processing Factory at Buipe in the Northern Region to process 12,000 metric tonnes of shea butter annually. It is also good to know that the Produce Buying Company has already secured a ready market for processed shea butter in Brazil. This should certainly encourage the pickers and farmers to increase productivity. It is also heartening to know that the project is an initiative of the Savannah Accelerated Development Authority (SADA). For some time now, the pressure has been on the authorities of SADA to up their activities to enable the people of the three northern regions to realise the benefits for which the authority was set up. While urging the management of the new processing plant to adopt prudent practices to ensure efficiency, the Daily Graphic entreats COCOBOD to review the floor price of shea nut to encourage more farmers and pickers to do business with the board.

WORK HARD TO REBUILD SHIPYARD

Page 7: Daily Graphic, May 18, 2012 MANY individuals and organisations have welcomed the decision by the government to resume total control of the Tema Shipyard and Drydock with its re-acquisition of the 60 per cent shareholding of Penang Shipbuilding Company (PSC) of Malaysia. Without doubt, the drydock remains a strategic national asset with great potential for not only the growth and development of the country but also job creation and skills acquisition in this period of increased maritime traffic in an emerging oil and gas business environment. After all, poverty alleviation is all about wealth and job creation. We acknowledge the contribution and vigilance of the workers all these years when the Malaysian firm took majority shares and the management of the company. During that period, there were a number of complaints, protests and management and staff lock-outs. It is, therefore, not surprising that many Ghanaians and labour organisations have commended the government for taking the bold decision to take over majority shares and the management of the company. But we believe re-possessing the company is only one of several measures needed to transform it into one of the best in the sub-region and beyond. While the burden of recapitalising, resourcing and putting in place an efficient management for the company will be on the government, the workers and allied agencies that do business with the drydock also have a crucial role to play to turn around the fortunes of the company. We need no reminder that most state-owned enterprises had to go the path of divestiture because they had become liabilities to the state. They became liabilities because both management and workers adopted I-don’t-care attitudes or ‘this is government property’ stance and could not be bothered by happenings in those firms. As of now, we still have this syndrome in most of our public institutions where workers and management alike care less. And yet, they will be the first to jump at the government for increase in wages and improvement in other conditions of service. The Daily Graphic thinks that this type of business-as-usual attitude should not find its way into the company. We admonish those to be engaged to manage the company to move beyond vigilance and adopt a positive attitude to work to help turn around its fortunes. We believe the company can achieve its strategic objectives if all stakeholders decide to adopt a new work ethic. The company has come far in its life cycle and we believe it is about time it attained the vision for which it was set up by Dr Kwame Nkrumah. The Daily Graphic commends the government for the bold decision it took to re-possess the company. Our prayer is that for once let us demonstrate to the whole world that state enterprises have potential for growth, wealth and job creation.