Ghana's Health Minister on leave as Doctors’ crisis deepens

Joy News

Health Minister Joseph Yieleh Chireh has been granted a leave of absence by President John Mills.

This was disclosed to Joy News by Communications Minister Haruna Iddrisu who has been asked to take provisional oversight of a ministry now in 'chaos'.

Doctors have withdrawn their services and have vowed not to accept even emergency cases at the various public hospitals.

Pharmacists are also threatening strike following botched negotiation on the SSSS.

It appeared rather unusual that the sector minister would voluntarily proceed on leave during a period like this.

But Iddrisu insists there is nothing wrong with the decision.

He explained Yieleh Chireh had long requested for his leave even before the doctors announced their strike and the president granted his wish.

He is expected to be back after a week.

Agogo: Man killed as residents demand immediate recall of soldiers from the area

Source: Joy Online


The Agogo Police Command has confirmed a shooting incident that occurred Thursday 13th October 2011, claiming one life.

The Agogo District Police Commander, Deputy Supt Nana Yawson said on Adom FM’s Dwaso Nsem on Friday that the victim was shot on his farm in a village called Bontire, but died on his way to hospital.

The deceased has been identified as Agya Kwame Abu who is reported to be in his late 40s. The body has since been deposited at Agogo Hospital.

The mother of the deceased, Maame Abunua, has also accused the Fulani Herdsmen of killing her son.

She said her late son was her fourth child whom she described as a hardworking farmer.

Adwoa Kuma, one of the 11 children of the deceased also said her father was killed by Fulani herdsmen on his farm without any provocation.

Meanwhile, DSP Yawson called for public collaboration to get the killers of the deceased.

The Youth of Agogo have threatened to burn down a community center that serves as a shelter for soldiers sent to protect the residents for their failure to protect them and have asked them to leave the town.

In response, Supt Nana Yawson has advised the youth to petition the Regional Security Council (REGSEC) for the removal of the soldiers since they were not there at the invitation of the police but the REGSEC.

Since the deployment of soldiers to Agogo over two months ago, four indigenes have been allegedly killed by Fulani herdsmen.

Fulani herdsmen around the Afram Plains area including Agogo and Kwahu areas have been terrorising residents and raping women.

Residents of Agogo have agitated for the evacuation of the Fulani herdsmen from the area, staging series of demonstrations to register their displeasure over the activities of Fulani herdsmen.

President of Agogo residents in Abroad, Anyan Kusi also told Adom Fm that several attempts to resolve the heinous activities of the Fulani herdsmen have proven futile, and accused the government of doing little to protect the citizens.

The Member of Parliament for Asante Akyem north in the Ashanti Region, Kwame Anyimadu Antwi said security personnel guarding the residents have failed to protect the indigenes and supported the call by the residents that the soldiers should leave Agogo area.

Ghana Economy May Grow as Much as 12% in 2012 on Oil Exports

Ghana’s economy may expand 8 percent to 12 percent next year as Africa’s newest oil exporter expects rising output of crude to boost revenue, said Deputy Finance Minister Seth Terkper.

“Oil revenue will be significant,” he said in an interview in Accra, the capital, yesterday. The forecast is greater than the International Monetary Fund’s 7.3 percent growth for 2012 made last month. This year, growth is seen at 13.5 percent, the fastest rate in sub-Saharan Africa, according to the Washington- based lender. The Ghana Statistical Service gave a provisional projection yesterday of 13.6 percent.

Production at Ghana’s Jubilee oil field began in December, the country’s first output of crude for export, propelling growth to a rate of 31 percent in the first three months of this year and 34 percent in the second quarter, the Ghana Statistical Service said Sept. 22.

A target to produce 120,000 barrels a day by the end of the year may not be met, according to the Finance Ministry. The output forecast is likely to be met next year, adding the delayed revenue to the country’s economy, Terkper said.

Ghana wants to sustain the 12 percent growth rate beyond next year by “adding value to our crude,” Terkper said.

In August, Ghanaian lawmakers approved a $3 billion loan from the China Development Bank, $800 million of which will be spent on developing a natural-gas industry in the country’s Western region. Ghana has 3 trillion cubic feet of natural gas reserves, Nana Asafu-Adjaye, managing director of the Ghana National Petroleum Corp., said Oct. 6.

Let us upgrade our abilities in order to define what we are as a people of promising destiny.....Dr Tommy de Laurence (Publisher, Ghana Telescope)

Where are our National Identification Cards ? Why has it taken this unreasonable length of time to accomplish a simple task ? What are the Parliamentarians who voted for the taxpayers money to cover cost of the project doing about it ? Why are so many road constructions idling at snail-pace progress ? Where are the responsible custodians of affairs in our society ? I love to read ghanatelescope.com. It clearly defines unbiased journalistic approach to news dissermination. It also points out what is lacking or wrong not what is right with presumption, coated with crafted embellishments to bamboozle readers. Our thinly gained progress will nosedive into misery if we continue the cycle of allowing issues of great concerns slide into tolerating acquiescences only to suffer their negative effects over and over again. Those who hold reins of power must be awakened to the highest expectation of accountability through relentless requests for good governance by the media. Such demand is not partisanship : it is a civic duty. Send us your opinion today - editor@ghanatelescope.com . We publish all opinions unsensored. Over a quarter of a million perusers love to read ghanatelescope.com each week. We hold a strong position that any person who cant take the heat must get out of the kitchen. Try the opinion section of our bi-weekly editions. You may LOVE IT....God Bless Ghana ...Dr Tommy de Laurence .. Publisher .. New York - Accra - London .. admin@ghanatelescope.com

IMF, World Bank Support Chinese Loan

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank have indicated their support for Ghana’s efforts at securing a $3 billion loan from China, the Minister for Finance and Economic Planning, Dr Kwabena Duffuor, has said.

However, he said, the Fund would meet to take a firm decision in December this year, after a country economic review exercise which would determine the impact of the loan on the economy and whether it breached any agreements following a presentation to a joint World Bank /IMF Tam in Washington on September 28, 2011 by the government on what the loan would be used for and its viability.

The IMF, on the other hand, will send a team to Ghana on October 12, 2011 to conduct the fifth review of the economy under the Extended Credit Facility, which will cover areas such as recent economic policy performance and challenges going forward.

The IMF supports Ghana mainly to fix its macroeconomic indicators to achieve the stability needed for business planning and growth, while the World Bank broadly supports projects through the national budget and sector specific interventions to achieve growth and development while reducing poverty.

Dr Duffuor, who led the team that made a case for the $3 billion loan in Washington, told the Daily Graphic that “the two institutions have not shot down the loan; they are rather supportive, as they believe it will have a positive impact on the economy and the quality of lives of the people.”

He explained that the fifth economic review starting from October 12, 2011 under the Credit Facility Programme, which would have terms different from the fourth, the IMF Board would meet to take a decision in December, during which a new non-concessional credit/lending limit would be set.

The current agreement, reached in May 2011 and which expires in June 2011, puts the ceiling on non-concessional loans at $800 million. The limit was set at a time when oil revenue inflows had just started trickling in. Ghana’s remarkable and unprecedented growth of 23 per cent in its Gross Domestic Product (GDP) means that an upward review of credit limit for non-concessional loans is likely.

Dr Duffuor said Ghana had already done its own assessment of the $3 billion loan from China, which will fund infrastructure projects, including a comprehensive gas infrastructure.

Parliament has already approved the Master Facility Agreement covering the $3 billion loan which will be used on a number of projects, such as gas processing facility, gas transmission pipelines and the building of railways and trunk roads

Position Economy As Hub For ECOWAS

The Delegate of the German Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Mr Patrick Martens, has urged Ghana to sustain its economic and political stability in order to grow the private sector to make it the hub for West Africa.

Mr Martens said although Ghana by itself was not a large market, many European investors preferred to adopt the country as their West Africa hub because of the economic and political stability.

Speaking on the sidelines of a cocktail organised by the German Tech Pavilion at the just ended German and European industrial fair, GEREU 2011, Mr Martens told the Daily Graphic that it was also important for managers of the economy to identify sustainable sources of infrastructural development and not necessarily those that were cheap.

Ghana has to take advantage of the stable conditions it has and work harder to sustain it. In doing so, the country should go for infrastructure solutions which are of a high quality and sustainable, and not just always the cheapest, Mr Martens said.

GEREU was organised by the Ghanaian –German Economic Association (GGEA) and the Delegation of German Industry and Commerce in Ghana (AHK) from September 29 to October 1, 2011, with companies exhibiting various industrial products in the areas of pharmaceuticals and chemicals, automobiles, information and communications technology (ICT), energy, construction, financial services among others.

The German Tech Pavilion at the fair was a dedicated stand for German companies to exhibit products and services. The pavilion had a total of six companies (Terra Trading International GmbH, Bay-Sat Engineering & Technology, Gebr. Willing, Hanwha SolarOne, Lahmeyer International GmbH and AG-Tech Ltd.) exhibiting the latest technologies in solar energy, self-sufficient housing and construction machines.

Other areas were concrete shuttering systems, construction, security engineering of buildings, pipelines and airfields as well as telematics.
Mr Marten said the idea was to encourage the German companies, which were averse to doing business in Africa, to enter the market and also have them partner with industries in Ghana to ensure efficient performance and growth.

We have companies interested in agriculture and agribusiness. We believe this sector can be a key driver of employment and exports. It is important to note that we are not here as donors but we want to do good business across the value chain, the Delegate of AHK said.

The German development bank, DEG, which offers cheaper financing, a key ingredient for investments, was also at the exhibition to express its readiness to support and promote viable private sector businesses in the country.

Mr Martens said so far the fair had been very successful in matching

China hits back

It is entirely the duty of Ghanaian authorities to regulate trade and check the illegal activities of foreigners who do business in the country, Chinese officials have said in a response to complaints of malpractices by their nationals in the local trading sector.

Among the charges, Chinese traders and businesspeople have been accused of illegal mining activities, pirating local textile-designs, and venturing into the retail sector which by law is a preserve of indigenous entrepreneurs.

Chinese employers have also often been cited for their disregard for workers’ rights, with some reported incidents of inhuman treatment of local labour in their employ.

But in a response, the Commercial Counsellor of the Department of West Asian &African Affairs at the Chinese Ministry of Commerce, Xie Yajing, stated: “It is your government’s responsibility to regulate trade. We, on our part, encourage our businesses to respect and abide by local laws and regulations.”

A lot of these companies are not state-owned enterprises but personal, private businesses, she said. While state-owned firms and other registered contractors doing business overseas are regulated by authorities in Beijing, her ministry is not fully aware of the overseas ventures of many private businesspeople, she claimed.

Though an increasingly important trade partner, China’s exports into Ghana have not always been welcomed. Local industries fret about cheap and sub-standard Chinese imports which have taken over their markets, and are gradually pushing them to the wall.

Xie Yajing defended the quality of products manufactured in China, noting that different standards apply in different export markets, which could explain why, for instance, a product that is rejected by the EU market may be permitted to enter Ghana or some other African country.

Franklin Cudjoe, an analyst with policy think-tank IMANI Ghana, agreed with the sentiments of the authorities in Beijing during an interview with the Business & Financial Times.
“I absolutely agree with them. You don’t blame foreigners for a lack of focus or proper regulation.

“If you look carefully at the mining sector, the only reason why the activities of so-called illegal miners have become significant is simply because there is a failure of regulation; and to the extent that we haven’t seriously looked at the laws regarding mining by ordinary individuals, it opens up the space to other nationals as well.

“The other crucial point on the issue of piracy is that we have not invested sufficiently in strengthening our copyright system. If the investments matched the technology that is needed, you wouldn’t have customs officials going after traders selling pirated products that consumers want to buy anyway.

“It is important for the Ghanaian authorities to have technology and software that allows them to crosscheck electronically in order to detect pirated materials at their points of entry.

“Also, the local textile industry is now a very expensive industry due to the cost of production. About 90% of ingredients in textile manufacturing are imported; therefore the combination of import and local taxes makes it difficult for local producers to meet the demand or compete with imports.”

Ms. Yajing recognised the lopsided nature of trade between China and Ghana, but said it is largely the outcome of both countries’ economic structures. Exports from Ghana comprise mainly primary resources like cocoa and minerals, while trade in the other direction is made up substantially of high-end manufactures like electronic products, machinery and ICT systems.

China intends to further boost bilateral trade and its cooperation with African countries, she said. Accordingly, it plans to assist some African countries to establish logistics centres that will serve as focal locations for the distribution of Chinese-manufactured goods to different markets in Africa.

Water shortage hits Tema

Acute water shortage in the industrial hub of Ghana, Tema, has compelled industries within the harbour city and its environs to temporarily shut down their various plants for productions.

Some workers who have been laid off by some companies as a result have been asked to report to work when there is water for production.

Officials of some of the companies told Daily Guide that they were losing billions of cedis due to unavailability of water for their productions as they had to shut down their plants until there was frequent flow of water.

The Supply and Chain Manager, Unilever Ghana Limited, Naira Djako, mentioned that the company had temporarily laid-off some workers and shut down their plants due to the water shortage.

Christopher Sarkodie, Assistant Public Affairs Department of Coca-Cola Bottling Company Ghana Limited, one of the leading beverage producers in the country, explained that the continuous interruption in water supply had affected the company’s production, as it had to shut down some of their plants.

According to him, the shortage of water would increase their cost of production, saying although the company had its own water reservoirs, about 90 percent of its production depended largely on water supply from the Ghana Water Company Limited (GWCL).

Mr. Sarkodie appealed to the GWCL to help rectify the situation since it might also lead to some workers being laid off if the situation remained same.

Restaurants and various homes have also been affected by the acute water shortage, leaving residents dejected and miserable.

Some of the areas affected are Ashaiman, Lebanon, Tema, Sakumono, Michelle Camp, Gbetsile, Kpone and Zenu.

The Communication Manger of te GWCL, Stanley Martey, told Daily Guide that the water shortage in Accra and Tema was as a result of the shutdown of the Kpong water plant because of upgrading works being carried out by the Volta River Authority (VRA).

He explained that immediately VRA completed its works, GWCL’s main transmission pipe line also went off, adding that they were doing everything possible to restore regular supply of water soon.

US to guard oil shipments around Ghana, other countries as pirate attacks on West African coastlines surge

As more oil discoveries are being made in the West African sub-region, activities of pirates are said to be springing up in the region from its usual area, the Red Sea of the coast of Somalia.

The coastlines of West Africa have for some time now been seeing attacks from pirates on ships and vessels carrying oil as well as goods.

In August this year, the International Maritime Bureau (IMB) listed five African countries’ sea-shore as piracy prone areas in its latest Piracy Prone Areas and Warnings report. The countries are Nigeria, Benin, Guinea, Cameroon and Somalia.

The IMB said the areas are risky for the movement of vessels and ships including oil and chemical tankers due to attacks from pirates who are using weapons and rocket propelled grenade launchers.

The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crimes (UNODC) in an article titled “West Africa: Another target for piracy?” published on its website and culled by ghanabusinessnews.com September 27, 2011 says with massive reserves of oil, cocoa and metals needed to supply hungry world markets, the Gulf of Guinea – a stretch of West Africa’s coast spanning more than a dozen countries – is witnessing early signs that pirates may be keen to pounce on new and lucrative opportunities.

“Piracy, drug smuggling and political uncertainty have made the Gulf of Guinea a challenging environment for investors seeking to benefit from natural resources.”

However, the US government has pledged its full support in helping to fight piracy along the coast lines in the region.

Assistant Secretary, Bureau of African Affairs, US Department of State, Ambassador Johnnie Carson told ghanabusinessnews.com that the Obama administration is working with ECOWAS to fight these pirates.

Mr. Carson, who was answering questions from some selected media in the world on September 28, 2011 via a live video streaming said the US government has noticed the situation and “we have regular navy ships and boats visit West and East of Africa.”

The media interaction was on the outcome of the 66th UN General Assembly and US Africa Policy. Ghanabusinessnews.com, the Daily Graphic and Net 2 TV took part at the US Embassy in Accra.

“We are also working with some West African countries to provide them with boats to strengthen their coastal guides,” said Mr. Carson when ghanabusinessnews.com asked him about the issue of piracy in West Africa particularly Ghana since it has started oil production and is exporting using similar coastal routes where pirate activities are said to be increasing.

Already a US Navy vessel, the HSV Swift, visited Ghana in August to train 30 Ghanaian Naval officers to strengthen the maritime capabilities of the Naval Forces towards enhancing maritime security. It is part of the US military cooperation programme called Africa Partnership Station.

The US has also become increasingly reliant on oil and gas exports from West Africa and the Gulf of Guinea itself.

According to an 80-page report, published by the Washington-based Atlantic Council and cited by the Inter Press Service (IPS) Africa publication in December 2010, 18% of US oil imports and 14% of its natural gas (LNG) imports currently originate in West Africa.

That percentage, the publication said is expected to rise to 25% by 2015.

Mr. Carson notes that these pirates are now around the Niger Delta, Togo and Benin and further to the Red Sea of the coast of Somalia.

Meanwhile, ECOWAS has called for action against piracy after governments along the length of the West African coastline have expressed concern about a surge in the number of attacks on cargo ships.

Regional governments will be meeting in Cotonou, Benin in October this year to discuss coordinating efforts to halt piracy.

President of ECOWAS, Ambassador James Victor Gbeho who spoke to IPS Africa ahead of the regional conference, said “The navies of all our coastal states should permanently combine their operations…The phenomenon is becoming worrying and could have serious economic consequences for our countries. That is why we will act firmly against it.”

Experts say if the issue is not solved or combated, maritime insurers will demand higher fees to cover ships which pass through the region.

By Ekow Quandzie

Deal With Crook Chinese Traders

A Senior Chinese official has asked Chinese businessmen in Ghana to operate within the local laws, warning that anyone who flouts the law should be dealt with.

Xie Yajing, Commercial Counsellor for West Asia and African Department of the Chinese Ministry of Commerce, told visiting Ghanaian journalists in Beijing that any businessman who decides to violate the local laws should not be spared.

Ms Yajing said appropriate sanctions should be applied to serve as deterrent to others.

According to the senior government official, much as China would want to encourage its nationals to seek other opportunities outside their home country, it should not be at the expense of the hosts.

“Chinese businesses should abide by the local laws and if they break them they should be dealt with,” she told eight journalists from DAILY GUIDE, Daily Graphic, Ghanaian Times, Business and Financial Times, Ghana Television and Metro TV during a visit to her office.

She was reacting to allegations that some Chinese traders and businessmen, with support from their local collaborators, are flooding the Ghanaian market with substandard products at the detriment of the consumers.

She dismissed the perception that products that are brought to Africa are inferior, saying that “there is no difference in the quality of products we produce.

We have only one standard for the products we produce.”

And if anything goes wrong during the design of the product, it is rather the Ghanaian businessman dealing with Chinese company that should be blamed because he must have made certain demands in terms of his home market as to what the people can afford. It is the importer who might have influenced the type of products that are made, she indicated.

She advised any individual, who has a concern, to go to the Chinese Embassy to lodge complaint for appropriate sanction to be applied against the manufacturing company.

When the activities of Chinese retailers and pirates were brought to her notice, she condemned the action and sought for appropriate sanction.

According to Ms Yajing, there are more than 500 Chinese businesses operating in Ghana, especially in the areas of construction, trading, water supply, electricity generation, specifically mentioning the construction of Bui hydro Dam.

In recent times, Ghana has been looking at the direction of China for loans for infrastructural development, including the recent $3billion commercial loan approved by Parliament.

However, she said the money provided to support the Bui Dam for power generation was the largest single preferential loan to be provided by Chinese government to any African country.

The previous New Patriotic Party (NPP) administration, led by President John Agyekum Kufuor secured over $500million loan for the execution of the Bui project on concessionary terms. The project is expected to be completed by 2013, according to the original scheduled.

But in recent times work on the dam had to be stopped because of heavy rains in the area, which caused flooding.

A number of projects, including the Achimota-Ofankor road, Nsawam-Apedwa junction, Job 600 for parliamentarians and the new high court complex, among others, are being undertaken by Chinese contractors.

She said China would continue to strengthen ties with Ghana, stressing that Ghana is one of the most trusted allies in Africa.

She said trade volumes between the countries have increased astronomically though in favour of China, as Ghana only exports raw materials to the Asian nation, the second largest economy in the world.

The journalists are touring China at the invitation of the Chinese government with support from the Embassy in Accra.


Source: Fortune Alimi, Beijing, China

Hospital Turns Back Patients

Accra — A general hospital in a port city in Ghana has driven away patients including pregnant women due to shortage of doctors since last Sunday.

A notice posted on the walls of the general hospital in Tema, 30 kilometers east of here, asked clients seeking medical attention to visit other hospitals for their own safety as a result of the shortage of doctors in the hospital, especially at the maternity ward.

Ghana Health Services said that it had requested more medical doctors to the hospital to avert any death.

In a telephone interview with Xinhua, Accra Regional Director of Health Services Dr. Irene Agyepong said that moves had been taken to return conditions at the hospital to normal.

"We have put in a request for more medical doctors to fill vacant positions at the hospital" and to improve the situation as soon as possible, she added. (Xinhua)

3-Member Nigerian Fake Visa Gang Busted

A Nigerian, Joshua Nnama Chukwu-Kadibia, 54, who has been on the radar of the Ghana Immigration Service (GIS) for allegedly issuing fake visas to foreigners, has been arrested.

His accomplices, Ignatius Aguowo, 38, and Moses Onyanka, 29, also Nigerians, have also been arrested.

The three have been remanded in the custody of the Ghana Immigration Service to appear before court on September 28.

Assistant Comptroller of Immigration (ACI) Francis Palmdeti, Head of GIS Public Affairs, told the Ghanaian Times that for the past two years, the Service had detected that some foreigners entered the country with immigration visas embossed in their passports, and whenever questioned, they claimed the visas were issued to them by Kwame Acheampong, also known as Joshua Nnama Chukwu-kadibia.

Mr. Palmdeti said that information prompted the surveillance team of the Service to begin monitoring the activities of the said Acheampong.

He said last Monday (September 19), a Russian, Ikhvan Gerikhanov, arrived at the Kotoka International Airport with an entry visa and during interrogation, he (Gerikhanov) said he was invited into the country by Danso Philip Law and Co Limited to negotiate a multimillion dollar contract.

ACI Palmdeti said during further interrogations, it came out that the address of the said law firm was fake.

Consequently, an order was issued that anybody appearing at the airport to meet the Russian should be arrested.

Mr. Palmdeti said moments later, Chukwu-kadibia and Aguowo arrived at the airport to pick up Gerikhanov to a hotel.

He stated that the surveillance team tailed the suspects to a hotel where they were arrested, together with another Nigerian, Moses Onyanka, who was found to have been in the country illegally and without a passport.

“It was discovered during a search that Chukwu-kadibia has fraudulently acquired Ghanaian passport number H2537836 bearing the name Kwame Acheampong. A sample of GIS emergency entry visa was also found on him,” ACI Palmdeti said.

Chukwukadibia has been on GIS radar for over two years as a '419' fraudster who managed to defraud a lot of foreigners,” he said and stated that the suspect had been producing fake GIS emergency entry visas for his victims.
He said in July, last year, the Service received an e-mail from Ahmet Erdogan Horzum, a Turkish civil engineer, purported to be a response to an invitation to him by the acting Director-General of GIS.
Mr. Palmdeti said a critical examination of the mail showed that it was fake. Besides, the name of the Director-General was wrongly spelled.
Mr. Palmdeti said the GIS suspected that it was the same group which issued the fake visas to the Turkish and another Russian, Nickolav, a lawyer.



Story by The Ghanaian Times/Ghana

No Preference for MMT in BRT System

Frederick Asiamah
allAfrica.com


The Metro Mass Transit (MMT) Limited, which is partly owned by the State and became a 'messiah' for commuters trapped in long queues in many heavy traffic areas over the past few years, will not have any special role in the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system which is to begin soon in eleven Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies.

Conversely, the MMT will not be discriminated against if its authorities decide to enroll in the new bus system by applying to operate on the new routes.

Under this regulatory system, MMT is like any other operator; MMT is like the GPRTU [Ghana Private Road Transport Union], PROTOA [Progressive Transport Owners Association] and so on. There will be no preference for any entity," Laud Allotey of the Communications Unit of the Centre for Urban Transportation (C.U.T) told Public Agenda last Tuesday.

The MMT has been facing depletion of fleet in more recent times, resulting from frequent breakdowns. The presence of the MMT on the roads in some urban centres, especially in Accra is diminishing.

Apparently, the MMT has now been focusing more on inter-city services. As a result school children are no longer enjoying the free bus ride introduced for basic school pupils as they should. Workers have also had to wait in queues for several hours in the morning and evening rush hours with the hope of catching a trotro (private commercial mini buses).

Many Ghanaians feared that the new BRT system was a rival, state run parallel system that will hasten the demise of the MMT given the politicalisation that has characterized its operations since being introduced by former President John Agyekum Kufour's administration.

But the C.U.T Communications Unit has allayed those fears, stating that the MMDAs involved in the BRT are supposed to undertake route registration and certify users of BRT routes for a period of one year. In doing so, the MMDAs are supposed to embrace all who apply and assess their applications in a manner devoid of bias and prejudice.

More importantly, the MMDAs are obliged to recognize existing transport operators.

Government will regulate the system and provide the infrastructure. Basically government will play the role of a referee, Mr Allotey indicated to Public Agenda. He emphasized: The private sector is supposed to operate; government is not going to buy the buses for them."

That notwithstanding, government will assist them by linking them with the banks to enable them secure loans (if they need to do so) for the purchase of the buses.

Public Agenda has been trying to find out from authorities at MMT how they are positioning themselves to benefit from the new system but our efforts yielded no responses.

The BRT is a component of the $90 million Ghana Urban Transport Project. The overarching goal of the Ghana Urban Transport Project is to improve public transport in the Greater Accra Metropolitan Area by providing more and better public transit service to meet the needs of the region. Among the means chosen to achieve this goal are the development of a bus rapid transit system and the regularization of transit service throughout the region.

Eleven MMDAs have been selected to pilot the BRT and these include Accra and Tema metropolis, Ga East, Ga South and Ga West municipalities (all in the Greater Accra Region) and Kumasi, and Ejisu in the Ashanti Region.

The development of the system for takeoff in the Accra Metropolis has been divided into three schedules, according to Mr Allotey. The LOT 1 consists of the construction of a flyover on the railway line on the Graphic Road at a cost of $12 million. The work, being carried out by Edjis BcEom International, involves the construction of a bridge over the railway line and the widening of the bridge over the Odaw River.

The state newspaper, Daily Graphic, reported last Tuesday that work on the flyover project which started in January, this year, is now 50 per cent complete. It quoted the Resident Engineer of Edjis BcEom International, Mr Micheal Lear, as saying that the work would be completed in October, 2012.

According to him, there was an initial difficulty with the construction of the foundation because there was too much sand and water underground, but said "those challenges have been overcome and we hope to finish the project on time.

The second LOT involves the construction of segregated bus lanes from the Central Business District through Farisco (Adabraka), Graphic Road to Kaneshie First Light where the segregated lanes will terminate. From there the inner lanes of the existing three-lane road network to Mallam will be carved out for the BRT buses.

The third and final LOT involves the construction of bus stops, terminals and bus depots at Mallam. The bus depots are where the buses will sleep, Mr Allotey explains.

It is unclear when all these will be completed but some 120 buses are expected to be running on the route at scheduled times

NPP calls on EC to convene IPAC Meeting

Accra, Sept. 23, GNA – The New Patriotic Party (NPP) on Friday called on the Electoral Commission (EC) to convene IPAC Meeting immediately to help restore credibility and ensure that all the “Accra Principles of Electoral Justice” are implemented for Election 2012.

It said: “There is an urgent need to convene IPAC Meeting immediately so that together, we can help restore credibility and ensure that all the “Accra Principles of Electoral Justice” are implemented for Election 2012”.
The party made the call in a letter addressed to the EC in Accra by Mr Jake Otanka Obetsebi-Lamptey, National Chairman.

It referred to previous correspondence on the need to get IPAC convened and deliberating on matters regarding the forthcoming Biometric Voter Registration (BVR) exercise and other issues pertaining to Election 2012.

“Our call for specific information and material to enable us convince ourselves that the ‘tender process’ leading to the procurement of equipment and materials is credible has fallen on, sadly, deaf ears.

“We wholly endorse and support the constitutional provisions safeguarding the independence of the Electoral Commission. However our interpretation of the constitution is that the powers of that independence must be used to provide the nation with an election process that is credible, transparent, fair and ultimately delivers a result that is accepted by stakeholders as reflecting the true choice of the electorate.

“We do not believe that the independence is given to the Electoral Commission for it to act in a capricious and unilateral manner that can lead to the election process producing discord and tension in our country.

“We respectfully advise that as one of the major stakeholders in Ghana’s democratic process, not receiving the courtesy of a response to our letters is a bad signal.

“Further to receiving a copy of your “Invitation to Tender (ITT)” given to shortlisted companies to submit their solution for the Biometric Registration exercise, we commissioned two independent IT experts in the field of biometrics to analyze your ITT and give us their unvarnished assessment as to whether the ITT will lead to a credible BVR.

“Both teams arrived at the same conclusion. The gaps, risks and security flaws in the ITT, if not addressed and demonstrated to the parties, are of such serious magnitude as to make the BVR not credible and prone to fraudulent abuse.

“In the light of the above, we wish to convey our deep sense of apprehension that the manner in which you are conducting affairs towards Election 2012, secretly, stealthily and silently is a recipe for disaster.

“We realise that your institution has no experience in the field of electoral Biometrics and you have not requested credible experts to help you in undertaking this exercise. This can lead only to a bad outcome.

“Coming events cast their shadow. The pending court case has the potential of not only jeopardizing your already poorly implemented “roadmap” but impugning the integrity and credibility of the EC,”” it added.

The letter said: “For us in the NPP, we implore you as a matter of urgency to:

* Implement the mitigation any remedial measures identified by the experts and demonstrate to IPAC same before we can support the BVR exercise.

1. The necessary Certifications to ensure international standardization and quality assurance features in the system hardware are non-existent in the ITT. This is so for both the finger print scanner and camera. It also applies to the AFIS search engine. The camera is a 2MPand scanner is 500dpi. Both are of too low a resolution to make biometric analysis possible.

A camera with greater than 10MP and fingerprint scanner of at least 1200dpi should be the minimum requirement.

There are no requirements in the ITT to ensure that the software and other systems are developed and configured to international standards.

2. The ITT requirement that the client should own the source code and be able to make changes without trace (avoid detection) is a recipe for electoral fraud.


All stakeholders should either have access to the source-code or they are proprietary to the extent that any technical expert or unit with access cannot compromise the functioning of the solution.

3. There is no requirement in the ITT for the provision of an AFIS database and search engine.

This non-requirement means a database somewhere is going to be used. Where is this database? Who owns it? How secure is it? How credible is it? This is even more pertinent as the ITT requires an “AFIS enhancer”. If there is no engine with a database how can you enhance?

4. Physical security regarding usage of portable storage devices (USB’s, memory sticks, flash drives) for the storage and transfer of data are non-existent. Even if such security exists it can be subject to fraudulent abuse and so is not desirable in systems such as ours where data integrity is important. International best practice is to have a secure encrypted transfer protocols for all data transfer without the use of portable storage devices.

5. Locations where Data Centres are located are subject to Certification to ensure that stringent physical security and access controls protocols are adhered to. The ITT does not specify this as a requirement. This means data integrity cannot be ensured and can be easily compromised.

6. Given the lack of experience of the biometric process of the GEC the management of the project should include non-GEC executives who have proven competence in this area.

* To conduct the forthcoming registration exercise in all Polling Stations in Ghana simultaneously, as is the practice with replacement of register, to minimize greatly multiple registrations and its associated Voter ID card issuance. This would make up for the time lost.

Nigeria registered 60 million voters in two weeks why does Ghana need more than a month to register 13 million people. The EC should call for help from our Donor Partners and our sister nation, Nigeria, for both logistical and financial help to ensure this.

* To discuss the legal and regulatory issues concerning amending CI-12 with all the Parties immediately before submission to Parliament to prevent delays that the CI will encounter if it gets to Parliament without the Parties’ inputs beforehand.

* To demonstrate to us your plan of action to implement Voter Verification (authentication) before voting. This is imperative if the BVR exercise is to be complete. Countries in sub-Saharan Africa who have implemented BVR without authentication have not escaped political chaos post elections. Kenya realizing this through bitter experience, have recently implemented authentication before voting in a bye-election with greatly improved results.

The failure of EC to demonstrate practically to us, by the time Parliament reconvenes during the third week of October, that our concerns are being addressed, would convince us that for Election 2012 the EC cannot be relied upon to ensure a free, fair, credible election.

“We would then not be a supporter of the BVR exercise and will advocate for the EC to undertake a new manual registration system which is open, transparent, verifiable, economical and auditable (tried and tested) done simultaneously in all polling stations rather than support the flawed and opaque system the EC intends embarking on,”” the letter added.

GNA

Hidden explosives shipment seized at Nigerian port

LAGOS, Nigeria (AP) — Nigerian officials seized a sizable amount of explosives hidden inside a shipping container from China at one of the West African nation's major ports, an official said Saturday, amid continued unrest and bombings across the oil-rich country.

The container arrived at Nigeria's Tin Can Port on June 14 on the MV Seng-Shi, with its bill of lading claiming the shipment from Huangpu, China contained industrial sockets and valves, said Wale Adeniyi, a spokesman for the Nigeria Customs Service. However, discrepancies on the shipping paperwork raised suspicions of the customs service, which kept watch over the container to see if someone came to pick it up, Adeniyi said.

Officials opened the container Friday to check its contents, he said, adding that they worried whatever could be inside of the containers could grow unstable during Nigeria's continuing rainy season, he said. Officials remain unsure whether the explosives were of a military or commercial grade.

"We saw them in different dimensions with cables, wires (and) some bolts," Adeniyi said.

The customs service handed the explosives over to Nigeria's federal police force. Authorities have launched an investigation into the shipment, Adeniyi said, though no arrests have been made.

Nigeria's chaotic ports in its megacity of Lagos see tons of cargo move through them daily, providing cars, imported food, refined gasoline and other products needed for the nation of 150 million people. Drugs and other illegal goods also flow through the ports, often aided by officials receiving bribes in a country considered by analysts to have one of the world's most corrupt governments.

It isn't the first time a shipment that could be used as weapons have been found in the country. In October 2010, authorities at Lagos' Apapa Port found a hidden shipment of 107 mm artillery rockets, rifle rounds and other weapons from Iran. The shipment was supposedly bound for Gambia. A Nigerian and an Iranian face criminal charges over the shipment.