Pan African Television has begun telecasting of a
documentary on “Galamsey” in Ghana which is more than revealing.
The documentary which is telecast every week day from 11am
shows the American angle to Galamsey, and the role of traditional rulers and
some of the most influential people in politics, business and academia.
The documentary which was shot in eight episodes by a US
film crew is perhaps the most elaborate revelation of the involvement of US
citizens in the Galamsey menace.
 |
| US Ambassador to Ghana, Robert Jackson |
It discusses the degradation of the environment, the
role of different nationalities in the promotion of Galamsey and the security
threat it possess.
The documentary titled “Jungle Gold” which was
originally posted on Youtube appears to have been shot by amateurs but is
shocking.
It is completely shatters the false claim that Galamsey
is just a Chinese enterprise.
It is certainly a must watch.
Editorial
AMEND MINERALS ACT
The fight against Galamsey appears to be impressive at
least for now.
However, if some important steps are not taken immediately,
the fight against Galamsey would become a pipe dream.
The Insight is convinced beyond doubt that Ghana’s
mining laws are antiquated and need urgent review.
Provisions in the Mining Act which permit the control of
surface and underground water by mining companies need to be repealed urgently.
We also strongly believe that all of mining is injurious
to life and that Ghana gains far less than it loses in mining operations.
The Insight insists that Ghana ought to carry out a
cost-benefit analysis of mining as basis for taking any future action in the
sector.
Local News:
Ghanaians Urged To Patronise Wood Gasifier Stove
 |
| Boakye Agyarko, Minister of Energy |
By Godwill Arthur-Mensah
A wood gasifier stove that uses pieces of dry plant
material as fuel for domestic cooking, and is environmentally-friendly, has
been introduced onto the Ghanaian market.
The technology, known as the Top Lid Up Draft (TLUD)
gasifier stove, is cost effective and produces much less smoke than the
conventional wood burning stove, and good for the health of the user.
Mr Allan Atsu, the Chief Executive Officer of Bonanza
Solutions Limited, who demonstrated the usage of the technology to the Ghana
News Agency, on Monday, said he was seeking government’s support to train more
people in the technology and enter into large scale production.
He said the charcoal from the wood gasifier stove,
known as bio-char, could be used as manure to enhance soil fertility.
He noted that the TLUD technology saved 75 per cent of
firewood used in a conventional three stone firewood stove.
“There is no need cutting down big trees to deplete
the forest but one can use pieces of dry coconut shells, bamboo, groundnuts
husk, wood chips among other things as fuel,” he said, adding that one could
design the burner of the stove by using clay or two steel cups.
Mr Atsu said his outfit would like to train interested
people and artisans in the manufacturing of the stove at a minimal fee.
He said the first 100 people who would register for
the training would receive 50 per cent discount.
The wood gasification stove for domestic use was first
introduced by Dr Thomas Reed but it was popularised by Dr Paul Anderson in the
United States.
GNA
Kofi Annan Supports Coal for Energy
 |
| Mr Kofi Annan |
By Desmond Davies
Former UN Secretary General Kofi Annan has backed
African governments’ use of fossil fuels – especially the continent’s large
endowment of coal – to bridge Africa’s huge energy gap.
In the face of opposition to the use of coal by
climate change activists, Mr Annan said: “We are not saying countries should
immediately stop using fossil fuels and switch to renewable sources of energy.”
His assertion was backed by a report by the Africa
Progress Panel (APP), Lights Power Action: Electrifying Africa, launched in
Abidjan recently, which said Africa needed to move faster to solve its energy
crisis as quickly as possible.
This means adopting a significant increase in a range
of solutions on and off grid, the report suggests.
Mr Annan, who chairs the APP, said during the report’s
launch at the headquarters of the African Development Bank: “As our report
clearly states, the cost of transitioning to renewables may be prohibitively
high in the short term – especially for countries that use their sizeable
endowments of coal and other fossil fuels to generate energy.
“What we are advocating is that African governments
harness every available energy option, in as cost-effective and technologically
efficient manner as possible, so that no one is left behind.
“Each country needs to decide on the most cost-effective,
technologically efficient energy mix that works best for its own needs.”
Lights Power Action underlines that the 620 million
Africans without access to electricity need a mix of off-grid and mini-grid
solutions.
Mr. Annan went on: “Governments and their partners
need to seize the opportunity to re-imagine their energy futures.
“Africa’s energy deficit continues to stifle economic
growth, job creation, agricultural transformation, and improvements in health
and education.
“Meeting Sustainable Development Goal 7, the energy
goal, is a pre-condition for achieving many of the other goals.”
Figures show that of the 315 million people who will
gain access to electricity in Africa’s rural areas by 2040, it is estimated
that only 30 per cent will be connected to national grids.
Most will be powered by off-grid household or
mini-grid systems.
It is in the light that there has been growing support
for African countries to use coal to bring power quickly to a continent that
has 35 billion tons of recoverable coal reserves that would last for 122 years
at the current rate of consumption.
They argue that using coal to power Africa would drive
growth and create jobs.
Last year Nigerian Finance Minister Kemi Adeosun told
a joint meeting of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank: “We in
Nigeria have coal but we have a power problem, yet we’ve been blocked because
it is not green.
“There is some hypocrisy because we have the entire
Western industrialisation built on coal energy.
“They are saying: ‘You have to use solar and wind’,
which are the most expensive,” she added.
In July last, former Nigerian President Olusegun
Obasanjo, a member of the APP, added his voice to the debate: “We in Africa, we
should use what we have to generate power for our people.”
Lights Power Action is an in-depth follow up to the
influential 2015 Africa Progress Report, Power People Planet: Seizing Africa’s
Energy and Climate Opportunities.
African governments have pointed out that the original
UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) places development first
when it states: “Economic and social development and poverty eradication are
the first and overriding priority of the developing country partner.”
For African governments, the use of coal is clearly
the way forward for achieving economic development and industrialisation,
rather than depending on renewable energy projects that are expensive and not
delivering.
For example, a recent assessment of the Green Africa
Power (GAP): Renewable Energy for Africa project launched by the UK’s
Department for International Development (DfID) in March 2011 showed that it
did not deliver a single GW of power.
The DfID had spent £9.4 million over five years to
provide 765 gigawatts hours (GWh) of electricity to over nine million people in
Africa with the aim of raising investment from the private sector for renewable
energy across sub-Saharan Africa.
The recent annual review of GAP revealed that “no
milestone target” had been set, and that “no projects were expected to reach
financial close”.
The review is coming at a time when the UK’s foreign
aid is increasingly being criticised by Conservative politicians who feel that
British taxpayers’ money is going on aid projects that do not deliver for poor
people.
The UK is one of only six developed countries that
have hit the UN foreign aid target of 0.7 per cent.
A recent investigation by The Daily Telegraph
newspaper discovered that hundreds of millions of British money spent on solar
energy projects in Ethiopia, Mali and Kenya had not had the desired effect of
improving access to electricity by ordinary people in Africa.
Now Priti Patel, who was appointed Secretary of State
for International Development in July last year, is taking a tough stand on how
UK aid is spent and wants the climate change projects investigated.
In this light, the APP report describes the kinds of
policies and investments needed to support the ambitious new public and private
initiatives now under way that aim to increase energy access swiftly across
Africa, especially the New Deal on Energy for Africa, spearheaded by the
African Development Bank.
“As our new report shows, where there is good
leadership, there are excellent prospects for energy transition,” Mr. Annan
said.
“We know what is needed to reduce and ultimately
eliminate Africa’s energy deficit.
“Now we must focus on implementation.
“The time for excuses is over. “It’s time for action”,
he noted.
New fears over
damage from air pollution on blood system
Nanoparticles found in vehicle exhaust fumes can build
up in damaged blood vessels and stay in the blood system for months,
potentially raising the risk of a heart attack or a stroke, a new study
suggests.
It was suspected that cardiovascular diseases leading
to premature death are linked to polluted air, although it was not clear how
exactly it affects blood vessels.
Now a group of scientists have used a specialized
technique to track those particles.
The results of the study by staff at the University of
Edinburgh in the UK and the National Institute for Public Health and the
Environment in the Netherlands were published in the journal ACS Nano on
Wednesday.
During the experiment, 14 healthy volunteers, 12
surgical patients and several mice inhaled harmless ultra-fine particles of
gold. It turned out that the particles built up in damaged blood vessels of
those who already have a heart disease, aggravating their condition.
“There is no doubt that air pollution is a killer, and
this study brings us a step closer to solving the mystery of how air pollution
damages our cardiovascular health,” said Jeremy Pearson, professor and
associate medical director at the British Heart Foundation, according to Reuters.
It was found that nanoparticles can migrate from the
lungs into the bloodstream within 24 hours, and can remain there for three
months.
“If reactive
particles like those in air pollution ... reach susceptible areas of the body
then even (a) small number of particles might have serious
consequences,” Mark Miller, who led the Edinburgh research, said.
Scientists found that the particles accumulate in the
fatty plaques at inflamed vascular sites, including carotid plaques in patients
at risk of a stroke.
The findings prove the importance of reducing
emissions and limiting people’s exposure to nanoparticles, said Nicholas Mills,
a professor of cardiology who also worked on the study.
GHANA:
PETITION
TO INVESTIGATE THE USD 2.25 BILLION BOND CONTRACTED BY THE MINISTRY OF FINANCE
AS ANNOUNCED ON 3RD APRIL, 2017
 |
| Ken Ofi Atta, Minister of Finance |
On behalf of the
leadership and entire membership of the Dynamic Youth Movement of Ghana(DYMOG),
I Edward Tuttor, a citizen of Ghana petition the august Hearings and Administrative Committee of the Securities and
Exchange Commission, as enshrined in the Securities Industry Law , PNDC
Law 333, 1993, later amended into Securities Industry (Amendment) Act, 2000
and finally amended into Securities
Industry Law (Amendment) Act, 2016 to thoroughly investigate the USD 2.25
Billion Bond contracted by the Ministry of Finance, under the authority of
Finance Minister, Honorable Ken Ofori-Atta as announced on April 3rd,2017.
I petition the
Committeewith vivid reference to the functions of the Securities and Exchange
Commission explicitly stipulatedin theSecurities Industry Law. For the purpose
of this officialcomplaint, I respectfully, draw your attention to:
·
(PART II, Article
9b) “to maintain surveillance over activities in securities to ensure orderly,
fair and equitable dealings in Securities”
·
(PART II, Article
9f) “to protect the integrity of the Securities market against any abuses
arising from the practice of insider trading. And;
·
(PART II, Article
9g) “to adopt measures to minimize and supervise any conflict of interests that
may arise for dealers"
Pursuant to the
Commission’s primary objective of maintaining a healthy securities market, by
ensuring strict compliance to our local standards as well as global principles,
as set by the International Organization for Securities Commission’s(IOSCO), I
pray the honorable Committee to look impartially into the issues raised
thereof.
A) TRANSPARENCY OF THE BOND.
Honorable Chairman,
It is a possibility that one of the most important values of any Securities and
Capital Market-Transparency,has been compromised in the execution of the USD
2.25 Billion Bond contracted by the Ministry of Finance as announced on 3rd
April, 2017. I suspect the Bond was not Transparent, based on the under listed
grounds:
i) Announcement Duration: Honorable Chairman, the Ministry
of Finance declares that the Bond is a “Local” Bond. However, the awareness
creation surrounding the Bond was less than 24 hours on the Bank of Ghana website.
For a local bond, one would have expected that, continuous announcements would
be made in the print Media and National Television at least two clear weeks to
the start of the process, which is the acceptance of bids. Honorable Chairman,
I can say on authority that, a good number of Ghanaians did not know much about
this Bond. This leads to suspicion of ‘secrecy’,
a sharp contravention to the tenets of security market principles.
ii) Pre-Trading Information: Honorable Chairman, in the wake
of the controversy that surrounds this controversial Bond, the Ministry of
Finance has not come clear with the Pre-Trading information relating to this
Bond. I humbly request the Ministry of Finance, through the Securities and
Exchange Commission to make available the comprehensive report on the
pre-trading process in the execution of this bond to the Committee,and me the
petitioner. To be specific, the requested report should capture the following
details:
(1) the duration of the bidding process,
(2) Full List of individuals and Companies that bade and at
what interest rate,
(3) Contact and addresses of all the companies and
individuals that bade,
(4) The categorization list of the bidders into both
competitive and non-competitive bidders and,
(5) The modality on how the bids were received (e-mail, fax
inter alia)
iii) Full Report on the Auction Process: Honorable Chairman,
it’s an incontrovertible fact that, prices on the Capital and Securities Market
are based purely on the forces of demand and supply. The Auction Process of
this Bond remains a mystery to me. I once again have reason tosuspect the auction
process was not transparent and that the whole process was
Staged to favor one particular lender. That
notwithstanding, I once again pray the Ministry of Finance, through the
Securities and Exchange Commission, to make available to me the petitioner, and
the Committee, a full report on proceedings at the auction stage in the
execution of this Bond.
Honorable
Chairman, all the above mentioned reports are prerequisites in arriving at a
satisfactory transparency index, so far as this USD 2.25 Billion Bond is
concerned. It is important to also state that, per the global objective of the
International Organization of Securities Commissions (IOSCO) in promoting
Transparency, Transparency is affirmed by the “Degree to which information
about Trading (Both Pre-Trading Information and Post-Trading information) is
made publicly available on a real time basis”.
Honorable
Chairman, under this section, I pray the august Committee to conduct a
comprehensive investigation into the:
1. Announcement Process
2. Bidding Process
3. Auction Process, and finally,
4. How the interest rate of 19.75% was arrived at?
B)
CLASSIFICATION OF THE BOND
Article 3.1 of the
Ghana Public Borrowing Guidelines (GPBG 2010) categorically defines what
External and Internal Borrowing is, “Basically, an external debt is therefore
the amount owed to creditors/lenders who are non-resident of the country”. Mr.
Chairman, in the execution of this USD 2.25 Billion Bond, Franklin Templeton
Investments, a United States of America Origin Company, subscribed a whopping
95% of the Bond, and yet, the Ministry of Finance still maintains the Bond is a
local bond.
Honorable Chairman,
I write to evoke the powers of the Security and Exchange Commission under Securities
Industry Law to conduct a full fledge investigation into why a local bond ended
up being overly subscribed to the tune of 95% by a foreign company. In your
investigations,I respectfully beseech the honorable Committee to consider these
parameters:
1. What makes a Bond local or External per the Ghana Public
Borrowing Guidelines.
2. Why did Ghanaian securities and capital market industry
playersrefuse to subscribe to the Bond (poorpublicity? lack of confidence in
the economy? inter alia)
3. What inspired a single foreign lender contract 95% of
the bond? What did the foreign company see the locals did not see?
C)
CONFLICT OF INTEREST
Honorable Chairman,
Conflict of Interest in the Securities Market is no frivolous issue worldwide,
and Ghana should not be an exception. With vivid reference to the Securities
Industry Law, Article 143 and 144 states clearly that, dealing with an
“Associated” person is a violation of the Law.
The Law further defines the conditions that suggest an insider has an
interest in a particular security.
Honorable Chairman,
I will like to bring to the notice of the Committee that, Franklin Templeton
(the company that subscribed 95% of the USD 2.25 Billion Bond) has one of its
Board of Directors being Mr. Trevor G.Trefgarne. It is also an established fact
that, Hon Ken Ofori-Atta, the Finance Minister at the time of the execution of
this bond is the majority shareholder of Data Bank Company Limited.
Interestingly,
Honorable Chairman, the Finance Minister and Mr. Trevor G.Trefgarne are
co-founders of Enterprise Group. This
means that both Mr. Trevor G.Trefgarne and Finance Minister have a common
interest in private business (Enterprise Group) and also public business
involving USD 2.25 Billion Bond. This is a clear violation of Article 284 of
the 1992 constitution.
HonorableChairman,
it also very important I draw your attention to this obvious reality. The
position of Hon. Ken Ofori-Atta as Finance Minister makes him the Chief
executioner of Government Securities and this puts him in a situation where it
is possible sensitive information can be passed to his ‘Associate’, Mr. Trevor
G.Trefgarne. Honorable Chairman, if this is true, it’s a clear violation of the
“prohibition of dealings in securities
by insiders” provisionof the Securities Industry Law, Article 128. This
calls for serious investigation by the Committee.
Furthermore, per the
Ghana Public Borrowing Guidelines, the Ministry of Finance is required to
perform a DUE DELIGENCE REPORT so as
to help the Ministry make an informed decision as to which lender to engage.
The report is to also establish clearly the credibility background of the
lender and his sources of raising funds to lend the State. Mr. Chairman, if in
that report, Enterprise Group directly or indirectly happens to be one of the
possible sources of raising funds to lend the Nation, then clearly, it is
possible Mr. Ken Ofori-Atta stands to benefit from the 95% shares contracted by
Franklin Templeton so far as the USD 2.25 Billion Bond is concerned.
Under this section,
I respectfully pray the honorable Committee to thoroughly investigate the
possible conflict of interest pertaining to the Securities Industry Law and
global principles of the International Organization of Securities Commissions
(IOSCO). By the end of the Investigation, I pray the Committee to diligently
andclearly establish whether or not;
1. There is a direct or indirect ‘association’ between Hon.
Ken OforiAttah and Mr. Trevor G.Trefgarne within the remits of the Securities
Industry Law and being mindful of Article 284 of the 1992 Constitution.
2. By any means, Hon. Ken Ofori-Atta, used his position as
Finance Minister to supply sensitive information pertaining to the execution of
this Bond to Franklin Templeton through his business ‘associate’ Mr. Trevor G
Trefgarne.
3. Hon. Ken Ofori-Atta stands to benefit directly or
indirectly from the 95% shares subscribed by Franklin Templeton in the USD 2.25
Billion Bond using the Due Diligence Report as the main source document in this
matter.
Honorable Chairman,
within the Sixty (60) days, that the Securities Industry Law permits the
Administrative Hearing Committee to sit on this matter and bring out its
findings, I respectfully, pray the Securities and Exchange Commission to
expedite action on the following issues.
i.
The Securities and
Exchange Commission as a matter of urgency, must initiate all necessary
procedures to halt government from contracting another Bond, until the issues
surrounding the USD 2.25 Billion Bond has been fully cleared.
ii.
Secondly, the
Commission must also kick start processes that will make Ghana join the likes
of Kenya, who contract local Bonds through Mobile Money. This will make bond
execution process more credible, easier and more transparent.
I also avail myself
to assist in investigations especially with issues raised in this petition.
Thank you.
Yours Faithfully,
Edward Tuttor
Petitioner
Convener for DYMOG
Mobile: 0243402814
Cc:
Ministry of Finance
Commission on Human Right and Administrative
Justice (CHRAJ)
Bank of Ghana
SOUTH
AFRICA:
Land in South
Africa: dispossession, resistance and restitution
The history of white colonial land
dispossession began at the Cape with the expansion of the Dutch colonial
settlement established by Jan van Riebeeck on behalf of
the Dutch East India Company (VOC).
Initially he was authorised to set up a refreshment station for the company’s
ships, but with the need for a more sustainable source of meat and vegetable
supply more land was required.
Land was seized from the Khoikhoi, and later the San,
to increase Dutch grazing pastures, expand their farming activities and to
establish settlements. Over time, the reduction of grazing pastures
traditionally used by the Khoikhoi, as the Dutch set up farms, resulted in
conflict between the two groups. Over time, the Dutch defeated the Khoikhoi and
expropriated more of their land. Deprived of their livelihood, they were forced
to seek employment on the farmlands of white colonial settlers.
After the British took over the Cape Colony from the
Dutch in 1806, colonial expansion and dispossession were expanded even further
into the interior. Tensions between Dutch and British forced the Voortrekkers
to begin migrating from the Cape Colony in 1834 into the interior to escape
British rule. Along the way they fought, seized and occupied land while
dispossessing Khoikhoi, San and African communities in the process. The British
in this period annexed land too, particularly in Natal (with its accessibility
to the east coast port) at times claiming conquered land from the Voortrekkers.
This opened up the interior of South Africa to further colonial conquest.
Conquest and land seizure was achieved through warfare
complemented by dubious “treaties”, which colonists claimed were signed by
chiefs or leaders of communities. African communities fought to defend and
regain their lost land, but the superior weaponry and collaboration by other
local communities enabled the colonists to prevail. “Native” reserves were
established from as early as 1848 in Natal by Theophilus
Shepstone and these became a feature of British colonization
across the continent.
The explosion of the mineral revolution with the
discovery of diamonds and gold gave more impetus to the colonial government to
consolidate and entrench its rule. The British and Afrikaner landowners and
industrialists set in motion a process that would consolidate their wealth,
while excluding black people through legislative means.
Thus, resolutions, proclamations and ordinances played
a key role in legitimizing systematic land dispossession and segregating South
Africa. After the end of the South African War, the British and
Afrikaners began working on establishing the Union of South Africa, which was
accomplished in May 1910. However, black people were excluded from meaningful
political participation in its formation and future of the Union.
By the formation of the Union, land dispossession had
largely been accomplished and segregation was beginning to take root. The white
minority state consolidated its grip passing more laws to dislodge African
people, who had survived land dispossession through entering into sharecropping
and tenancy in white-owned farms. The Natives Land Act passed in 1913 denied
Africans access to land – which before they had either owned or leased from
white farmers – confining them to reserves.
These reserves were expanded over time to become the
Bantustans or Homelands under the Apartheid government. It is important to note
that by the time the Land Act was enacted, South Africa was already moving in
the direction of spatial segregation.
Other legislation targeting Black African and Indian
people were also passed, such as the Native Trust and Land Act, Natives (Urban
Areas) Act, Trading and Occupation of Land Restriction Act and the Pegging Act
to name just a few. The ascendancy to power of the Apartheid government in 1948
under the National Party (NP) took land dispossession and segregation even
further. The passing of the Group Areas Act, the Native Resettlement Act and
the Prevention of Illegal Squatting Act among other laws sparked forced
removals of African, Indian and Coloured people from their areas of residence.
Native Trust and Land Act of 1936
Historian W. J. du Plessis notes that “By the time of
the advent of the new South Africa, about 17 000 statutory measures had been
issued to segregate and control land division, with 14 different land control
systems in South Africa.”(WJ du Plessis, African Indigenous Land Rights in a
Private Ownership Paradigm, PER, 2011, Volume 14, No: 7, pp.46). This
demonstrates the importance of land dispossession in creating a racially and
spatially divided South Africa.
After the collapse and dismantling of Apartheid,
legislation revoking laws that dispossessed people were passed and new ones
were enacted. The newly elected government set in motion a process that allowed
people who lost their land after 1913 to lodge claims for restitution. This was
revised in January 2013 when the ANC pledged to permit land claims to the
period predating 1913. Despite efforts to address the land issue, the legacy of
land dispossession remains visible on the South African socio-political
landscape.
Inception of the unsavoury relations between civil servants and
politicians
 |
| K.B Asante |
By K. B.
Asante
People expected life to change significantly for the
better for all after independence. But what they saw were a few Ghanaians
discharging the administration and high-profile functions of the colonial
regime while the Prime Minister and a few ministers were supposed to determine
policies and give direction for economic, social and cultural progress.
The few Ghanaians who became administrators and high
functionaries were on the whole better educated than their superiors the
ministers and acted with confidence to fashion the Ghana of their dream. Even
before independence, some of them, including Robert Gardner, Casely Mate and
Chinebuah, were high-profile personalities. Problems, therefore, developed when
these personalities became heads of state departments under ministers who were
not so highly educated and whose horizon of knowledge and understanding was
generally limited.
Tension between ministers and their subordinate heads
of ministries was palpable. The administrative heads were known as
permanent secretaries and it was said that because these officials felt that
they were permanent, they became arrogant. After all, ministers could be
removed by the Prime Minister without assigning any reason, but the permanent
secretaries were the solid bastions of the ministries. The designation
‘Permanent Secretary’ was, therefore, changed to ‘Principal Secretary’.
But it was generally believed that the arrogance of official heads of
ministries still persisted.
Principal secretaries acted for ministers who were out
of the country while permanent secretaries did their work. It was
believed that principal secretaries would be brought down to earth when deputy
ministers were appointed. They were supposed to act for the minister when
he was away. But this did not happen. Generally when the minister
was away, another minister acted for him. Some substantive ministers were
happy with what happened because they felt the deputies were angling for their
job.
Eventually, under the avuncular but stern leadership
of Enoch Okoh, the Secretary to the Cabinet and Head of the Civil Service,
competent ministers and principal secretaries were made to work together to
promote government policy. The collaboration and indeed working together
between ministers and principal secretaries improved a lot when Kwame Nkrumah
embarked vigorously on his development policies. Ministries which did not
deliver the goods had their ministers in trouble. Ministers, therefore,
sought and worked with principal secretaries who would help them discharge
their functions.
 |
| Krobo Adusei |
A Minister, Krobo Edusei, who did not have much
reputation for serious work, was posted to the Ministry of Agriculture and had
a defined assignment. Krobo scouted the list of principal secretaries and
landed on one who could assist him achieve Osagyefo’s objectives. I had
come to admire his talents and forthright manner and he approached me to help
him get a good officer he had identified posted to the Ministry of
Agriculture. And so it was that Quist-Arcton was posted as Principal
Secretary to the Ministry of Agriculture. The Ministry of Agriculture
achieved the assigned objectives early with distinction and Kwame Nkrumah
commended Krobo Edusei. I believe that absence of clear policies and appropriate
demands of ministries were partly responsible for the bad working relationship
between ministers and their principal secretaries.
With the President demanding performance from
ministers, many of them worked effectively with their principal secretaries to
achieve the prescribed objectives.
But the tension between ministers of the party on one
hand and civil servants who owed no allegiance to any party on the other hand
remained. Meanwhile, the Convention People’s Party (CPP) realised that they had
not enough party members in the administration to fully rely upon to properly
interpret and promote government policies. The party, therefore, approached
some senior officials to join the party and thereby get quick promotion. I was
approached together with some of my colleagues. Those who agreed to join the
party got on rapidly in the diplomatic service and elsewhere. This did not
help. It sowed the seeds of reliance on party allegiance rather than competence
and delivery.
The suspicion of officials without party credentials
continued. Eventually, Kwame Nkrumah had to personally sanction promotions to
Principal Assistant Secretary
(next to Principal Secretary). Deep down however, he
believed that it was the ideological orientation and commitment to policies
which mattered. He wanted all senior officials to have a session at the
Ideological School in Winneba. I was amused when one of my protégés, instead of
being a student, lectured at the Ideological Institute.
The problem which confronted the CPP still persists.
How does the incoming government know that the incumbent officials share their
views and beliefs and would, therefore, loyally promote their policies?
The suspicion of civil servants led to unwarranted
removals. Kwame Nkrumah sacked the Chief Medical Officer and Permanent
Secretary of the Ministry of Health, Dr Eustace Akwei. He was reported by the
minister and a senior minister as being arrogant and insolent. When Gardner and
some colleagues approached Nkrumah, he called the minister concerned.
He learnt to his surprise that Akwei was
requested to order all drugs the ministry needed from one organisation. Akwei
refused. He insisted that he would be guided by quality and price. Kwame
Nkrumah agreed with Akwei and recalled him but he had then gone to the World
Health Organisation in Brazzaville.
The second major and well-known removal or sacking of
officials was by Dr Busia. The matter had to go to court and became known as
the Apollo 568 case.
The administration should try to understand policy and
implement it. The policy has been sanctioned by the sovereign will of the
people.
It is not the work of the minister and incoming
politicians to identify who is for and against the government. Competence
should be demanded of civil servants and public officers. Those who fail to
perform should be removed in accordance with the rules. Ministers, civil
servants and public officers should work together to implement policies and
promote the interests of the nation.
The bickering should stop. They impedes progress.
Competent civil servants and public officials are needed for the promotion and
implementation of policies. They should work together for the public good.
Foreign News:
India to push former
colonial master out of world’s top five economies – IMF
 |
| Narendra Modi, Prime Minister of India |
A new analysis of growth projections by the
International Monetary Fund (IMF) shows that seven decades after gaining
independence, India may outshine its former colonial ruler, by pushing the UK
out of the five top economies this year.
According to the report, India will also overtake
Germany in 2022 as the world's fourth-largest economy, growing at 9.9 percent a
year in nominal terms.
The IMF, however, warned of challenges the country has
to address to make the climb.
Those issues include executing a wide-ranging overhaul
of the tax system, sorting out the biggest pile of distressed assets among
major economies, increasing productivity and employment opportunities,
encouraging corporate investment and overcoming a significant infrastructure
shortfall.
The report said India’s economy is still recovering
from the government’s decision to withdraw the two largest rupee notes which
caused a cash crisis in the country.
Economists are concerned about the health of India’s
banking system and its public finances. Global credit rating agencies already
rate Indian debt instruments just above ‘junk’ status.
Data shows bad loans, restructured debt, and advances
to companies that can't service their debt have risen to about 16.6 percent of
total loans.
India’s labor productivity has been weakening,
limiting growth and employment opportunities. According to the International
Labor Organization, India's output per worker is projected at $3,962 this year,
a fraction of Germany’s $83,385.
Despite all those factors, the IMF Managing Director
Christine Lagarde says there’s still much potential, calling India
a “bright spot.”
Experts add India’s fast-growing young population is
perceived to boost economic activity and help the nation outpace aging
developed countries.
Russian foreign
reserves reach highest level in 28 months
 |
| Russian Prime Minister, Dmitry Medvedev |
The Central Bank of Russia reports the country's
foreign reserves have risen to $400 billion in the week through April 21, their
highest level since the beginning of the economic crisis in late 2014.
The record high was seen in August 2008, when Russia's
reserves stood at $598 billion. By January 2014, they were at $500 billion.
The ruble fell after oil prices collapsed in the
second half of 2014. Also that year, the United States, European Union, and
their allies imposed sanctions against Russia over the conflict in eastern
Ukraine.
The central bank spent over $67 billion in a failed
attempt to curb a ruble collapse. The Russian currency fell from 35 to 80
against the US dollar on December 16, 2014.
In 2015, the government decided to stop propping up
the ruble to save the reserves. The central bank free-floated the national
currency and focused on replenishing reserves.
Russia’s reserves consist of foreign currency, special
drawing rights (SDR) holdings, reserve position in the IMF and physical gold.
At present, the central bank has slowed the process of
replenishing the reserves, as it hopes to cut inflation to four percent from
the current 4.3 percent.
"Our policy remains: we will make a decision on
replenishment of gold and foreign currency reserves when there will be no risks
to our target inflation, which is four percent, and to maintain the target in
the medium term,” Governor Elvira Nabiullina said last month.
According to Nabiullina, while the regulator doesn’t
reject the idea of replenishing the reserves, they are “by all
international standards sufficient,” she said.
'China, Russia Have Similar Positions on North Korea Issue'
 |
| The Korean Peninsula |
China and Russia have similar positions on North
Korea, and Beijing intends to continue cooperation with Moscow
on the issue, China's Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang has said.
"Foreign Minister of China [Wang Yi] and
Deputy Foreign Minister of Russia [Gennady Gatilov] will participate
in a ministerial meeting of the UN Security Council on the
Democratic People's Republic of Korea. Russia and China have similar
positions on the issue of the DPRK. Russia is making efforts
in this direction. China would like to continue cooperation
with Russia and other interested parties to find the right solution
to the North Korea issue," Geng said.
Geng added that China remained committed to the
UN resolution on North Korea and opposed any actions, violating the
resolution. As regards particular measures that Beijing might take in case
of new Pyongyang's missile and nuclear tests, Geng said it was a
"hypothetical issue," with many speculations on it.
Earlier in the day, Wang and Gatilov held a
meeting in New York, and agreed to follow through on all UN
resolutions on North Korea. They also stressed that further escalation
on the Korean peninsula could cause the situation to slip out of
control, and suggested offering Pyongyang to freeze its nuclear program
in exchange for halting joint exercises between US and South
Korean militaries.
Tensions surrounding North Korea's activities
with both nuclear and ballistic missiles have escalated in recent months
after Pyongyang conducted a number of nuclear tests and ballistic
missile launches in violation of UN Security Council resolutions.
The most recent missile launch by Pyongyang
reportedly took place early on April 16 but, according to South
Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff, it ultimately failed.
In response to the growing tensions in the
region, the United States sent a naval group led by US aircraft carrier Carl Vinson to the Korean
Peninsula. On April 14, US media reported that Trump might order a strike against North
Korea if Pyongyang decided to carry out another nuclear weapons test.
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