Samsung Ghana fetes inmates of God’s Love Ministry

Mr Akampoi, Care Taker of God's Love Ministry

Salomey Amanor, Samsung Rep

Boxes of Cow and Gate Baby Food on display

25-12-12             

As part of its Community care programme, Samsung Ghana has demonstrated true commitment to impacting on the lives of the poor and hopeless in society. After bringing smiles on the faces of vulnerable children in most orphanages of Northern Ghana, Samsung Ghana has once again extended its hand of friendship to God’s Love Ministry, an orphanage based at Soe in the Upper East Region. The orphanage took delivery of 30 boxes of Cow and Gate baby food meant to support the mental and physical growth of the inmates. Other orphanages that has benefited from the package include Mama Laadi Foster Home and Mother of Mercy Baby Home both located in the region. Other orphanages in Tamale have also benefited from Samsung Ghana,  whilst others in Accra and Kumasi are yet to receive their share of the offer. Speaking to Radio Ghana after the presentation, a representative from Samsung Ghana , Salome Amanor said the company is bent on reaching out to persons that need help especially those that are without family to take care of them, hence the intervention of Samsung Ghana to forestall hope in them. She hinted that it was the wish and passion of the company to touch many more lives through such packages and would ensure that frantic efforts are made to ensure the sustainability of their community care programme to benefit other institutions. One of the care takers of God’s love Ministry, Felix Akampoi showed gratitude to Samsung Ghana for the gesture and encourage them to bring smile on the faces of the poor and vulnerable in society. Mr.  Akampoi revealed that the organization since its inception has been able to resettle more children with their families. Most of these children, he added were picked from deprived homes in the region. The orphanage which currently harbors 9 children takes care of children between the ages 3 months up to 17 years.  They are adequately fed, offered accommodation and subsequently taken through the basic level of education before made to join the mainstream. He said with the support of a UK based NGO, the orphanage is putting up a classroom accommodation to assist the inmates in their education. Mr.  Akampoi on behalf of her wife who happens to be the pillar of the orphanage appealed to other individuals and institutions to assist vulnerable children, particularly orphans since it is no fault of theirs that they are in that condition. The welfare of such children, he said should be the concern of all particularly, this yuletide season where they are sometimes neglected.

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Government challenged to appoint more women in cabinet

Participants at a stakeholders meeting in Bolgatanga had challenged government to consider the appointment of more women to occupy key positions into cabinet. They were of the view that if women were given leadership positions and are made to be actively part of the decision making process, matters affecting their livelihood would be critically resolved. Representation and appointment of more women in government, they noted, would mean that Ghana was at the cross-road of achieving remarkable gains in the country’s democratic dispensation. Women they further observed are ripped to assume enviable positions in society as evident in the election of women in parliament and other influential positions of government including the seat of the Speaker of Parliament which is being occupied by Her Lordship, Joyce Adeline Bamford Addo. According them since Mrs Bamford Addo has performed creditably in her appointment as speaker of parliament, government should ensure that her exit is replaced by a woman instead of a man. Moreover, more women should be appointed as Municipal and District Chief Executives for the region. These recommendations were made during a focal group discussion attended by some women drawn from various departments and agencies in the region including past and present assembly women, queen-mothers as well as representatives of women right NGOs among others. The meeting under theme: “The Status of Women in Ghana: A Case Study of their Socio-Economic and Political Participation in Development” was jointly organized by the NCCE and the Department of Women. A communiqué at the end of the meeting was issued with several recommendations made to government. The communiqué signed by Head of Programs at the Regional NCCE Office, Peter Ayamga charged government to create rooms for more women to occupy key positions in government. It said women involvement in the decision making process would contribute immensely to addressing the numerous challenges affecting their wellbeing. A well carried out research, the communiqué stated suggest that women elevation to assuming leadership positions in cabinet would ensure balance and equity in the country’s decision making process considering their vast potential in managing the affairs of their families at the household level. The communiqué implored government to consider appointing a woman as Regional Minister for the Upper East Region since the position has become vacant following the election of Mr.  Woyongo as MP for Navrongo Central.  More women, it further suggested, should be appointed as board members in corporate institutions and agencies. The communiqué was hopeful that with more women in key governmental positions, the decision making process of the country would be improved for the better.

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Upper East Records 165 cases of domestic abuse

The Upper East Programmes Officer of Action Aid Ghana, Gregory Dery, has described as worrisome, the increasing rate of abuse meted out to women in the region.  He said though the region witnessed few cases of rape and defilement, records from the regional office of the Domestic Violence and Victims Support Unit (DOVVSU) reveal that 165 cases of abuse were recorded between January and November, this year with 86 being cases of assault. The Regional office of CHRAJ for the same period under review recorded 214 cases, though information gathered from their end suggested that 50 percent of violent abuses were not reported due to several factors best known to the victims involved. Mr.  Dery was not happy that with the intense public education on domestic violence, people still perpetuate violence against their victims, particularly women notwithstanding the harmful implications of their actions. Mr. Dery was addressing participants at a meeting jointly organized by the Widows and Orphans Movement (WOM) with support from other key stakeholders in Bolgatanga. The meeting attended by representatives of various NGOs and pressure groups sought to address human right concerns with focus on actions that are considered injurious and dehumanizing to many, especially women and children. It also sought to review the prospects, challenges and achievements of the Community Based Anti-Violence Teams (COMBAT) established in some selected districts of the region and to chart the way forward. Mr. Dery in his presentation challenged the traditional authorities to complement the effort of government and other civil society organizations in combating gender based violence, which he noted, has been on the increase in spite of the numerous community sensitizations geared at halting the practice. He said Ghana has come a long way and it is high time we walk the talk and show genuine concerns in addressing the plight of the poor and vulnerable in society. He further pointed out that Action Aid Ghana as an anti-poverty NGO has for years played its mandated role of improving the conditions of the excluded in society and charged other stakeholders to contribute their bit in ensuring the rights of the vulnerable. For her part, the National President, Widows and Orphans Movement (WOM), Betty Ayageba recognized the tireless effort of the various COMBAT teams for their watch dog role in resolving cases within and outside their jurisdiction. Their effort he observed had contributed in reducing domestic violence and other socio-cultural practices in their localities and urged them to forward cases beyond their reach to the appropriate quatres for redress. She told Radio Ghana that the meeting was expected to deepen the morale of the COMBAT members in addressing issues affecting the livelihood of the people. The existing COMBAT teams, she assured, would be sustained and replicated in other districts to help in combating crimes in the region. There were messages from CHRAJ and other human right NGOs on the protection of rights of individuals in society.

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MP elect calls on constituents to assist in the development process of his constituency

       

The Member of Parliament elect for the newly created Bolgatanga East Constituency, Dominic Akuritinga Ayine, has called on his constituents both home and abroad to assist in the development programmes of the constituency. For him, his quest to accelerate the pace of development in the area would only come to fruition if he is given the needed support and corporation. Dr Ayine who also lecturers at the University of Ghana (UG) hinted that a number of developmental projects including the construction of access roads, dams, bridges , boreholes and extension of electricity among other social amenities have been earmarked for execution and appealed to his constituents to go beyond tribal and partisan lines and support his development agenda. This, he said would enable him execute such projects within a shorter period of time. Dr Ayine announced this when he took turns to go round his constituency to thank the people for the confidence repose in him. He was accompanied by some NDC constituency executives and party stalwarts that supported his bid to become the MP elect for the new constituency. Dr Ayine pledged an open door policy and assured the people that he was going to use his position to impact positively on their lives, particularly the poor and the disadvantaged.  He further promised to work in tandem with the youth, traditional authorities as well as other key stakeholders in the constituency to enable him perform his duties with diligence. According to him, an office block would be constructed for the party to help facilitate their core mandate of ensuring speedy development in the area. He urged the rank and file of the party to support President John Dramani Mahama in his bid to pursue the Better Ghana agenda. Whilst commending party members for voting massively for the MP elect and President John Mahama to victory, the Constituency Secretary, James Nsoyuure encouraged supporters of NDC to remain calm as the NPP battles with the EC over alleged electoral fraud at the just ended general election.

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Woyongo renews government’s commitment to bringing total development to the north through SADA

Government in line with its effort to bridging the widening developmental gap between the north and the south introduced the Savanna Accelerated Development Authority as a way of tackling the socio-economic problems facing the three regions of the north.  Speaking at the 25^thAnnual Samanpiid Festival at Bawku, the Upper East Regional Minister, Mark Woyongo, said  the NDC government will not relent its efforts in massing up developmental projects through SADA which is an agricultural-based programme. According to him, government, through SADA, has established numerous factories and mentioned one mills plant and a cement factory. Others include a sheanut factory constructed at Buipe, two rice mills and a groundnut processing factory which is still on the drawing board to be constructed in the next couple of years. Mr. Woyongo, who is also the NDC Parliamentary Candidate for Navrongo Central pleaded with the electorate to retain the NDC into power to enable it advance the Better Ghana Agenda. Responding to some request made by the Bawku Naba, Mr.  Woyongo assured the people of Bawku to construct dams to embark on large scale farming during dry season. He thanked Bawku Naba for recognizing the development effort of the NDC-led administration in the area which he indicated has brought tremendous improvement in the livelihood of the people. Naba Abugrago Azoka in a speech read for him, commended government for creating new districts and constituencies in the area. He also commended the government for subsidizing the price of fertilizers for farmers, as well as efforts made to reconstruct the Bawku-Bolgatanga high way among other interventions. Mr. Woyongo cautioned residents of Bawku not to capitalize on this year’s presidential and parliamentary elections to foment violent conflict, bearing in mind that conflicts only help to retard a society from developing. He also extended his advice to the media and the security not to compromise their professionalism for political expediency since any misdemeanor from them could cause mayhem in this year’s general elections.

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NPP to provide more jobs for the teeming youth

           

One major factor facing the youth in Ghana is lack of job creation which makes them idle around aimlessly thereby jeopardizing the development process of Ghana. This unfortunate situation undermines their self-confidence; elude their dignity, thereby making them a threat to social peace and development. Job creation must necessary be the priority for any government and leader that aspire to govern the country. In this direction, the New Patriotic Party, NPP, has pledged to provide jobs for the teeming unemployed youth to better their living conditions. Addressing enthusiastic party supporters and students of the University of Development Studies (UDS) Navrongo Campus, the Presidential candidate of the NPP, Nana Addo Dankwa Akuffo Addo said his party was poised to advancing the cause of the youth through jobs. Nana Addo stressed that if given the nod, the NPP will focus on solving the unemployed canker by equipping the youth with requisite skills at the senior high and tertiary levels to enable them fit the job market. Nana Addo’s visit to the campus, formed part of his one day visit to the Upper East Region to attend a Regional Rally at Bolgatanga. He was accompanied by his running mate, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, the Parliamentary candidate for Navrongo Central, Kofi Adda and some NPP National and Regional Executives.  He said the economy size and structure of Ghana’s economy was not big enough to provide jobs for the people and as a result, the Nana Addo led -government will modernize the economy to improve upon the educated workforce.   On the free senior high school policy, he stated that, there will be a rapid educational infrastructure in the first eighteen months in office. He also disclosed that about 350 new senior high schools will be established from the scratch as well as rehabilitate and expand the existing ones. With all these, he added, will ensure that there is value for money in all that they do.  Nana Addo Dankwa said, building more schools and expanding existing ones means that there will be high demand for teachers to fill the vacant classrooms. In this regard, they will empower and expand the colleges of education to operate in full capacity to train more teachers’ for distribution to the numerous senior high schools through out the country as envisaged. Nana Addo Dankwa said the universities of Cape Coast and Winneba will be given incentives to stick to the core mandate of training more teachers, adding that the next NPP led-government will put high premium on science and technology to train more scientists and technologist to innovate the economy through research. Such innovation, he stressed, will give Small and medium scale entrepreneurs, a boast in terms of high and quality production to increase revenue.

GBC                                                                      END                                                                          JKK/IA

 

 

Four Parliamentary candidates in the Bongo Constituency battle it out

05-12-2012       

A keenly contested debate involving parliamentary candidates in the Bongo District of the Upper East Region recorded high turnout as contestants battle for ideas to win the support of their constituents. They are the Mr. Albert Abongo, incumbent NDC MP for Bongo, Madam Diana Aburiya Asuure on the ticket of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Mr Jacob Kofi Nsoh of the People’s National Convention (PNC) and Peter Ayamga Akugre of the Convention People’s Party (CPP). All candidates during the course of the debate demonstrated high spirit and willingness to see to the total development of the area when given the nod to represent the people in parliament. Representatives of the three opposition parties, the NPP, PNC and CPP said the incumbent over the past decade has not live up to expectation and explained that the incumbent MP has failed in his duty to bring meaningful development to the area. According to them the people are fed up and need a change to help change the fortunes of people. Mr.  Abongo in reaction to the allegation said much has been done in the four years of the NDC rule and outlined some developmental projects including the much awaited Bolgatanga-Bongo road network which is currently under construction as ample evidence to battress his claim. Mr Abongo who has been an MP for Bongo since 2001 till date declared that the Better Ghana agenda being pursued by the ruling NDC was on course and that Ghanaians were  about to experience much development in the area of infrastructure. This, he noted, requires the collective effort of all by renewing his mandate and that of President John Dramani Mahama to enable him continue with his developmental agenda. The NPP represented by Madam Asuure said with the introduction of the free SHS and other good policies of the NPP, Ghanaians will be better off as the incumbent has derailed from their core mandate. Mr Nsoh of the PNC and Akugre of the CPP said they were fed up with the NPP and NDC and therefore there was room for change. They said when given the nod they were going to excel beyond the expectation of Ghanaians and appealed to electorates to give them the mandate. The four candidates were subjected to questions in the area of sports, health, employment, agriculture and education among other sectors of the economy. The Bongo District Director of the NCCE, Anthony Atia said he was impressed with the performance of the candidates adding that the debate was organized to enable the people make informed decision as to who to vote for in the forthcoming polls. It was organized by the NCCE in collaboration with the Inter Party Dialogue Committee (IPDC).

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Sirigu Women’s Co-operative Sheabutter Extraction Society appeals for electricity

A research finding conducted by the Business Sector Advocacy Challenge (BUSAC) has indentified lack of electricity as the major problem affecting the operations of the Sirigu Women’s Co-operative Extraction society. It said though the group despite its large membership drive is unable to extract sheabutter in larger quantity to meet the current high demand of the product at both local and the international markets. Lack of electricity to the sheabutter extraction plant had affected the growth of the sheabutter production engaged by the group. Presenting the findings, a Service Provider to the group from BUSAC, Braimah Sanjage, recommended that the group be separated into two to help normalize their operations. Mr.  Sanjage was of the firm conviction that should electricity be extended to the plant it would not only impact on their manual way of processing sheabutter but also help reduce poverty among members since the processing of  sheabutter was their main income generating activity. Mr. Sanjage on behalf of the group appealed to government through the Kassena-Nankana West District Assembly to assist the women by providing them with electricity to boost sheabutter production. When this is done, the women would be able to produce much sheabutter for export. Adherence, he noted, would also better their living conditions. Mr Sanjage made the appeal at a sensitization programme held at Sirigu to brief members on the research findings by BUSAC.  In a related development Wesonomodaga Women Co-operative Raw Food Sellers Society Limited from Navrongo has also made a passionate appeal to the Kassena-Nankana Municipal assembly to expedite action by rehabilitating the Navrongo Central market to make it viable and congenial for traders. The main problem affecting the society has to do with their inability to display their wares since they are always crowded. The group, also at a day’s sensitization workshop, called on the municipal assembly to expand the market, to enable it meets the status of a municipality. Mr.  Sanjage who is also a service provider to the group said series of meetings involving stakeholders and the media would be held to deliberate on the way forward. For his part, the Upper East Regional Monitoring Officer for Busac Fund, Vincent Subbey urged all the group members to consider the project as their own since they are the sole beneficiaries.

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NPP to provide more jobs for the teeming youth

30-11-2012   

One major factor facing the youth in Ghana is lack of job creation which makes them idle around aimlessly thereby jeopardizing the development process of Ghana. This unfortunate situation undermines their self-confidence; elude their dignity, thereby making them a threat to social peace and development. Job creation must necessary be the priority for any government and leader that aspire to govern the country. In this direction, the New Patriotic Party, NPP, has pledged to provide jobs for the teeming unemployed youth to better their living conditions. Addressing enthusiastic party supporters and students of the University of Development Studies (UDS) Navrongo Campus, the Presidential candidate of the NPP, Nana Addo Dankwa Akuffo Addo said his party was poised to advancing the cause of the youth through jobs. Nana Addo stressed that if given the nod, the NPP will focus on solving the unemployed canker by equipping the youth with requisite skills at the senior high and tertiary levels to enable them fit the job market. Nana Addo’s visit to the campus, formed part of his one day visit to the Upper East Region to attend a Regional Rally at Bolgatanga. He was accompanied by his running mate, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, the Parliamentary candidate for Navrongo Central, Kofi Adda and some NPP National and Regional Executives.  He said the economy size and structure of Ghana’s economy was not big enough to provide jobs for the people and as a result, the Nana Addo led -government will modernize the economy to improve upon the educated workforce.   On the free senior high school policy, he stated that, there will be a rapid educational infrastructure in the first eighteen months in office. He also disclosed that about 350 new senior high schools will be established from the scratch as well as rehabilitate and expand the existing ones. With all these, he added, will ensure that there is value for money in all that they do.  Nana Addo Dankwa said, building more schools and expanding existing ones means that there will be high demand for teachers to fill the vacant classrooms. In this regard, they will empower and expand the colleges of education to operate in full capacity to train more teachers’ for distribution to the numerous senior high schools through out the country as envisaged. Nana Addo Dankwa said the universities of Cape Coast and Winneba will be given incentives to stick to the core mandate of training more teachers, adding that the next NPP led-government will put high premium on science and technology to train more scientists and technologist to innovate the economy through research. Such innovation, he stressed, will give Small and medium scale entrepreneurs, a boast in terms of high and quality production to increase revenue.

GBC                                               END                                                                          JKK/IA

National Lottery Authority support Builsa Traditional Council

23-11-2012   

A team of officials from the National Lottery Authority (NLA) had presented a cheque for GHc 5,000 to support the upcoming Feok festival celebrated by the chiefs and people of Builsa Traditional Area. This donation is in line with its mandate of promoting culture and heritage in the country. The team led by the Director, Special Projects, George Gyamfi –Osew also handed over 50 NLA labeled T-shirts to support the upcoming event. Receiving the cheque at the office of the District Chief Executive, the Siniesi Nab, Nab Apig-Jiak Afulang expressed the council’s heartfelt gratitude to NLA and assured them that the gesture would be used for its intended purpose. Nab Afulang observed that with the presentation of the cheque, the celebration of this year’s Feok Festival which usually comes off every December will be celebrated with pump and pageantry. He therefore on behalf of the Acting Sandem-Nab, Nab Clement Akanko, thanked the authority for the gesture and appealed to other cooperate institutions to also contribute their bit towards a successful Feok Festival. The Director, Special Projects of the NLA, Mr Gyamfi –Osew, said the donation which forms in line with their corporate social responsibility was not only meant to support the activities of the upcoming event but also to provide educational support in the district. The donation, he further explained, forms part of the authorities 50 years of existence, indicating that similar donations have been made in other regions to support their respective festivities. He disclosed that his outfit as part of its silver Jubilee had supported various health facilities in the country with assorted items to enhance the quality of health care delivery. Mr.  George Osew, took the opportunity to educate the council about the operations of the NLA, stressing that the NLA was established to generate revenue for national development through games and was the only institution mandated by an Act, Act 722 of 2006 to conduct lotto business in the country. The said Act, he pointed out, affords the authority the exclusive right and license to operate lotto services in Ghana, therefore any activity in contravention with the law was considered as illegal. Mr George-Osew, therefore appealed to the council to help clamp down on illegal lotto operators otherwise referred to as ‘Banker to Banker’ since their activities was affecting their operations. Such miscreants, he lamented should be seen as saboteurs and must not be entertained in any form. He said with the introduction of the automated machine, persons interested in working for the authority are advised to register with the authority since it comes with no fee. Mr. George- Osew urged the general public, particularly the teeming unemployed youth to register with the NLA to help improve their livelihood. The DCE, Mr. Norbert Awulley, for his part thanked NLA for the gesture and encouraged the public to cooperate with the NLA to enable them rake more revenue for rapid development. The annual celebration of the Feok festival is marked to signify the good harvest throughout the farming season, and to honour their ancestors for capturing Babatu and Samori, the notorious slave raiders who use to worry the people. It is also an occasion to drum home the need for peace and an opportunity to bring all the people together. 

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Ballot Papers for 2012 Elections Arrives

26-11-2012                                  

The ballot papers for the 2012 presidential and parliamentary elections have arrived in Bolgatanga and currently at the custody of the Regional Police headquarters for onward distribution to the fifteen constituencies in the upper East Region. The papers which arrived at about 5; 30 am amid heavy security escort was welcomed by all the political parties that were present to witness the inspection exercise by officials of the electoral commission (EC) and the police. As part of preparations towards next month general elections, the EC in its efforts to adequately make available electoral materials to the various constituencies has dispatched adequate ballot papers to constituencies in the Upper East Region. The papers which came in bails were carefully inspected and examined by all the political parties, the police and EC officials. The quality of the print, the quantity, the serial numbers of the papers, and the seal serial numbers were thoroughly checked in order to ensure transparency of the records at their disposal, which was supply by the EC earlier before the arrival of the papers. The Regional Director of the EC, Bruce Ayisi, said his outfit is ever ready to maintaining its track record of delivering on its constitutional mandate as far as credible, transparent and violent- free elections are concern. He said the ballot papers are in the right quantity and in the right sequence which the political parties present are satisfied. He therefore encouraged political parties to educate their supporters on the voting process and procedures so as to avoid many spoiled ballots and disturbances at polling stations. The Deputy Regional Police Commander, ACP Peterkin Gyinae has assured Ghanaians and the region of the safety of the ballot papers. He said the service is ready to contribute to the success of the elections and beyond, due to the importance of peace and economic stability of the country.

GBC                                                                            END                                                  IA            

Bissa’s are champs

26-11-2012                                                                                     

Bissa’s with the support of other ethnic tribes in the Kusaug kingdom over the weekend humiliated a combine Frafra and Dagaaba team by a lone goal. The goal which was scored in the second half of the fiercely fought game saw the Bissa team winning a puppy, which symbolically represented as the trophy for the day.  This year’s inter tribal fun games held at the Garu Catholic Junior High School Park at Garu, was jointly organized by world Vision Ghana and the National Democratic Party (NDP) to foster unity and peaceful co-existence among the various ethnic groups in the Kusaug area, particularly Bawku. The yearly event  often characterized by inter tribal jokes and sporting  disciplines including sack race and tag of peace is also being organized to drum home the need for tolerance and brotherliness among tribal groups in the Kusaug area and beyond. “Unity In Tribal Diversity: The Role of the Play Mates Concept”, was chosen for this year’s event attended by large section of the various ethnic divide including the Fulanis. At the end of the fun games, champs from the Bissa team won the Men’s sack race competition, followed by Kusasi’s and Frafra’s respectively, whilst lads from the Frafra side emerged as winners in the female competition. During the Men’s tag of peace competition, Bissa’s showed their superiority over the Frafras in what was described by many as unusual. In the female competition, Frafras won against the Bissa’s, whilst Kusasis were automatically declared winners as their opponent the Mossi’s refused to show up. Master Emmanuel Azure, a frafra by tribe triumphed over his opponents in the filling of bottles competition. Augustina Akapalu also a Frafra by tribe won in the female competition followed by Nafisa Wahabu, with Salla Mohammed claiming the third position. Also in the egg and spoon competition, Bio Mengabor, a Bissa emerged as winner in the Men’s category, whilst his colleague Faustina Asunkiya also a Frafra, won in the ladies category.  A keenly contested eating competition was also held to spice up the game. The Assembly member for Garu Zongo Electoral Area, Ben Moro, told Radio Ghana that this year’s event was significant as compared to the previous ones, stating the event was in solidarity to the upcoming general election which he indicated, had being centered on the need for peace before, during and after the elections. He was hopeful that with the current peace and unity prevailing within the various ethnic divide, the country was poised to maintaining its democratic track record. Mr.  Moro however appealed to Ghanaians to be ambassadors of peace and ensure that the country completes its electoral journey peacefully devoid of violence and intimidation.

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World Vision intensifies grassroot effort to prevent electoral violence

21-11-12 

As part of its contribution to national peace building, World Vision Ghana (WV), a faith based humanitarian NGO, has organized a peace forum in Bawku involving religious and community leaders to demonstrate the essence of peace in the build up to the December general election. Also present were some selected Junior High Schools including personnel from the NCCE and the various security agencies among a cross section of the public. In an opening address read on his behalf, the Zug-ran Bawku Naba, Naba Asigri Abugrago Azoka demonstrated the need for peace before, during and after the 2012 elections. He said Bawku as one of the economic viable areas of the country, has for years sold its dignity to violent conflict and has since suffered the consequences as a result. He said though the area is currently enjoying relative peace, economic and social activities have dwindled as traders fear to engage the people in their trading activities. This, he noted, has affected the pace of development causing most residents to travel far and near to safeguard their lives and properties. In the educational arena, BECE results collated for the past two years clearly shows that the conflict has taken a toll on academic performance of students. The Spokesperson for Naba Abugrago Azoka, Mr Thomas Abilla said considering the relative peace being enjoyed by the people, development was picking up, emphasizing that people are tired of the conflict and were committed to the current peace process. Mr Abilla therefore encouraged residents of Bawku to sustain the peace and cooperate with the security agencies as the country gears up for the upcoming December polls. He said with discipline and tolerance the area was poised to ensuring a peaceful electoral process devoid of violent behaviours. The youth, he observed are responsible for determining the future of the area. He moreover advised the youth to exercise high sense of decorum and firmness in their decision and not allow themselves to be used as elements for violence.. He thanked the various religious institutions for demonstrating true commitment to peace in Bawku, and urged others to emulate their shining examples.  Speaking on her behalf, the Operations Based Team Manager of World Vision, Benedicta Pealore encouraged the people of Bawku to cultivate the culture of peace in order to allow accelerate the pace of development in the area.  She said though the upcoming election is characterized with tension, Ghanaians with one accord, can once again prove to the world that it was capable of exercising a violent free election.   There were peace messages from Abdulai Wasila of Methodist JHS and Issahaku Hadi of Mother Theresa Educational centre hammering on the essence of peace in the forthcoming elections. 

GBC                                                              END                                                             IA/

Action Aid Ghana advocates for universal land policy from the state

21-11-12    

Government has been reminded to come out with a universal land policy that will afford both male and female farmers the right to owe land without discrimination. Equal access to land will help empower rural women secure land for their farming activities since women in most deprived communities of the country, lags behind in terms of land acquisition. The Upper East Programs Manager of Action Aid, Gregory Dery, who made the call, further appealed to the state to make farm inputs available to rural farmers to enhance their crop production. More so, processing and packaging facilities should be extended to rural women to expand their businesses and expose them to external and domestic markets. Mr. Dery, was addressing participants in commemoration of the International Day of Rural Women at Bolgatanga. The day which was first established by the General Assembly in 2007 and observed on October 15 2008 seeks to recognize the critical role women play in enhancing agricultural and rural development worldwide. The day also sought to acknowledge the tireless contribution of women in improving food security. More importantly, the day is observed to help put an end to rural poverty, which is considered as the number one enemy militating against the effort of rural women. Mr. Dery was optimistic that if women are supported with the necessary farm inputs including fertilizers, issue of food insecurity would be a thing of the past. On the issue of fertilizer,  Mr.  Dery, advocated for improved fertilizer subsidy, urging the government to consider making fertilizers readily available to poor women farmers.  He also challenged government and other relevant stakeholders to help assist women financially to enable them gain access to land. Action Aid he indicated, has contributed its bit by providing improved seed that are drought resistant and of high yield to most rural women and had again supported farmers with compost making facilities.  A lot of training services, he added, had been provided to farmers, stressing, that his outfit is working with various coalitions to build the capacity of women in deprived communities. Through the training, rural women would be able to increase their crop yield, thereby reducing the hunger gap between them and their men folks. Speaking to Radio Ghana, the National Director, Widows and Orphans Movement, (WOM) Madam Betty Ayageba, highlighted the invaluable contribution of women to national development and called on all to explore avenues that will enable rural women acquire secured land for farming activities.  

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ASSURANCE BY THE PNC PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE

                 

Our main themes shall be redirection, rehabilitation, youth empowerment and economic growth in all sectors of the national economy.

Leadership is about taking responsibility and solving the problems of the people in a fundamental way. No one can deny the fact that elections are about the qualities and leadership style of the presidential candidate and the record of her political party. If elections should be based on a comparison of the records of the various political parties and their candidates in Ghana, then we, the PNC, have an excellent record of good governance and a clean corruption free administration of  Dr. Hilla Limann from 1979 to 1981.

PNC will bring to Ghana, leadership of passionate patriotism, honesty, truth, hard work and love. The government of the PNC will be transparent; will listen genuinely to the concerns of all, including actively courting dissenting views; ensure real participation of the citizenry in the business of governance; all aimed at building citizenship.

Ghanaians are fast losing hope in politicians and in politics. Promises remain unabashedly unredeemed, even as more promises are churned out on a daily basis. The PNC will work to re-orient the political mind set of our people and mend the swelling mistrust between the political leadership and the good people of our dear country. The PNC will do this in the only way it knows how to do-being completely accountable to the people for what it says and does.  

Day in and day out, most Ghanaians struggle to get by, even as GDP increases and petrodollars kick-in. Ours is one of the fastest growing economies in the world, yet millions of Ghanaians struggle to pay their school fees and those of their children; have health insurance cards that cannot save them from death resulting from minor ailments; and have no food security. The government of the PNC will practicalise our constitutional stipulation that the most secure democracy is one which ensures that the basic needs of its people are met in a sustainable way.

The greatest asset and also the greatest threat to our democracy is the youth. The government of the PNC will not only be a youthful government, it will utilise the creativity and innovation that are its hallmarks to galvanise the tremendous resources of Ghanaian youth in agricultural production, industry, ICTs, and innovative entrepreneurship.  

The PNC's new focus on the youth will be in the context of a LONG TERM NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT PLAN FOR GHANA (LTDP). This plan will seek to redirect the course of our economy, rehabilitate ailing sectors of the economy, make the youth the heartbeat of the economy, and spur unparalleled economic growth that brings real benefits to all Ghanaians. Achieved on the basis of multipartisan consensus, the LTDP will provide the needed information for directing in allocation of national resources in the annual budget; for knowledge and skills development; and for business and investor planning and decision making.

Finally, the PNC government will ensure that a retrofitted economy throws up opportunities and rewards not just for a few Ghanaians with government and business connections, but for all Ghanaians who are a part of the Ghanaian Dream.

HASSAN AYARIGA- PNC FLAGBEARER, 2012

COMMITMENT OF A PNC GOVERNMENT

The PNC, having been established on a solid foundation of honesty, selflessness, dedication and commitment to duty and nation, on 15^th May 1992 by its founder and leader, has remained true to this heritage in spite of serious challenges that could have broken the will of members of the Party.

The principles upon which the PNC was founded and which constitute the hallmark of good leadership, have shaped the character of the PNC and are largely responsible for its tenacity and resoluteness and helped it survive 20 years of the turbulent and sometimes violent political terrain of Ghanaian partisan politics.

Its motto of Service with Honesty could not be more appropriate; its symbol, the coconut tree is a graphic illustration of the character and nature of the PNC.

A party of ideas, creativity, and innovation, the PNC, although yet to win political power under the 1992 Constitution, has contributed immensely, not only to the deepening of Ghana’s democracy but also to the development of the nation. By sharing these ideas with fellow Ghanaians and other political parties for the benefit and development of the nation, some of them have already come to fruition in the establishment of the Ghana Education Trust Fund (GETFUND), the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), the Ministry of Women and Children (MOWAC) and the School Feeding Program, just to mention a few.

This is the Party that is seeking the mandate of Ghanaians to govern.

The PNC is committed to the establishment of a united, prosperous, self-sufficient and a truly economically and politically independent democratic Ghana; a technologically and industrially developed nation on its way to joining the club of first world countries.

A nation of disciplined, healthy, confident and contented people, full of hope and promise for the future, is our goal. Our forward march towards the attainment of these goals shall be anchored by transformational, selfless, honest, transparent and dedicated leadership with a strong will to succeed.

PNC SYMBOL OF THE COCONUT TREE

The Party’s symbol is the coconut tree, one of the most precious of all trees. Endowed with firm roots and yet flexible, the coconut tree stands undisturbed after the mightiest trees have been uprooted by gale storms. A common proverb stresses its unique place among trees: “When nearly all trees shed their leaves, the coconut tree remains evergreen.” Throughout the ages, it has continued to serve as a beacon, landmark or a “natural lighthouse” and a source of hope to seafarers and all those who get lost at sea as to the direction where they can find land.

The coconut tree has almost one hundred uses. Its branches offer shelter and are used as material for making fences and roofing cottages. The branches also offer the farmer and the hunter handy material to weave receptacles for carrying foodstuffs and game. Its dried stalks as well as the husk of the mature dried fruits serve the rural folk as firebrand.

Precious too in our society, are artistic artifacts produced from the hard shell of the coconut. This is what encloses and protects its seed that is rich with valuable oil for use in preparing meals, soap, cosmetic and medicinal items. The water of the coconut fruit provides a refreshing drink for the weary traveler who, along with others, can now buy some off the roadside in many of our coastal towns.

The trunk can be tapped to provide “wine” from its sap, another refreshing drink. The roots have medicinal properties. Even at the final stages of decomposition, the trunk breeds delicious caterpillars as well as edible mushrooms and other fungi with medicinal properties. Indeed every part of the coconut tree serves our needs. Our beaches, and indeed all beaches all over the world which are lined with coconut trees, are major attractions to tourists who seek relaxation in the tropical sunshine. The fronds of the coconut tree provide many of our coastal and other rural folks with brooms for sweeping.

Like the proverbial broom made from the ribs of the coconut leaves, the People’s National Convention shall remain unbreakable. The Party will continue to serve as a beacon towards true political, economic and social progress with dignity for all Ghanaians in particular and all Africans in general. We are buttressed by the strength of Service with Honesty. This is the Party’s motto and message to the nation and to the world.

GOVERNANCE

The PNC shall demystify governance by practicing an open system of governance. In this connection the president, the vice president and all ministers shall devote some of their time to interact with Ghanaians, irrespective of their political affiliation, who may wish to see them and share ideas about our shared governance challenges.

A PNC government shall be a true government of the people, by the people, and for the people; a government that shall uphold the national constitution, even as it works to improve it, and  ensure equal opportunity and justice for all.

I. LOCAL GOVERNMENT

Ever since 1979, our PNC Manifestos for elections have remained clearly committed to re-organizing the local government system. We originated concepts such as “participatory democracy,” “participatory government,” “grassroots democracy” and “probity and accountability.” The present Manifesto is dedicated to the principle that local government is meaningful only when people fully participate in making decisions that are relevant to their own development aspirations and, above all, can also monitor the effectiveness of projects funded by the taxes that they pay. Accordingly, a PNC administration shall, among other mechanisms discussed in this Manifesto, provide matching resources for encouraging community self-help projects.

Local government is the arm of central government that allows the grassroots to participate in governance. This is made possible through metropolitan, municipal and district assemblies and sub structures such as area, town councils and unit committees. A PNC administration will  restructure the operations of the assemblies and all the structures under them, to make them more responsive to the needs of the people.

These specific measures will include:

·         The District Assembly Common Fund will be increased progressively until it reaches fifty percent of national revenue and the funds will be made readily available and devoid of all the disbursement delays that stifle local level initiative.

·         The people will elect their own District Chief Executives.

·         Assembly members and Unit Committee members shall be paid monthly allowances instead of sitting allowances so that they are motivated to give off their best in the discharge of their duties.

II. LAW AND JUSTICE

Various obsolete laws have no place in the new Ghana under a PNC administration. The PNC will revitalise the Law Reform Commission so that it works with the Minister for Justice, the Judiciary, all other legal and justice sector institutions and civil society organisations to ensure that the law does not continue to be a constrain in accessing opportunities, in doing business, and in living a fulfilled life.

The government of the PNC will, in particular, ensure that law reform leads to access to real, unadulterated justice for the common man and woman and contains mechanism for addressing historical injustices against women, children, persons with disability (including mental disability), and other minorities.

A PNC administration shall give top priority to strengthening the rule of law and enhancing confidence in the legal system by our citizens, local entrepreneurs and foreign investors. As the world gets more complex, there are many cases that tend to be on the borderline between criminal and civil matters. In many instances, the costs of civil suits are beyond the means of average persons. Therefore, we need to be innovative in providing appropriate channels for adjudication or even arbitration related to these cases.

Our judicial system and the police stations are already suffocating from a traffic jam of cases and delayed judgments. At off-street corners throughout the nation, it is common to find citizens quickly disposing of conflicts in a manner acceptable to the adversaries and the informal juries that speedily build into a crowd to observe the process. It would be useful for the nation to design formal tribunals in which chairpersons with competence in legal process and procedure guide jury-type systems in which the common sense, equity and sense of justice and fair-play of normal citizens is used in disposing clearly defined sets of cases. These should help in reducing the current state of over-burden on our judicial structure and the prison system. Nonetheless, the measures that a PNC administration will explore include:

1. Using the experience of the most advanced examples worldwide to enhance and speed up the dispensation of justice by automating and computerizing amenable aspects of court procedures throughout the nation.
2. Taxing the Bench, Bar and Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) to develop innovative systems that can speedily dispose of cases that would otherwise over-burden the court system and administrative tribunals such as the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) and the National Labour Commission (NLC).
3. Ensuring that all judicial personnel are computer literate, as speedily as relevant training sessions can be organized.
4. Most vacancies for magistrates for the entire country have been filled and most of them are nearing retirement or are on contract after compulsory retirement. This Manifesto has principles that a PNC administration shall apply to all employees, including those in the judiciary. Nonetheless, dispensing justice that is effective, trusted and respected right down to the grassroots in society is a unique professional responsibility for which employees must be efficient and protected from corrupt practices. Therefore, a PNC administration shall endeavor to create a structure with an objectively determined scheme of progression within this profession, supported at each level by related attractive remuneration and other terms and conditions of service.

Ghanaians need a system for delivering justice that is absolutely fair, completely accessible to all and responsive to the needs of the present and the unfolding future. Since justice that is delayed is justice denied, the innovative measures stated above, that a PNC administration will implement, should drastically cut down and speedily eliminate the current long waiting lists of cases and delayed judgments.

It is absolutely essential that the judicial system as enshrined in the Constitution be upheld and seen to be impartial and fully operational. This system should remain the most important means of judicial redress in our society and as such must be given all the support it needs to function efficiently. Accordingly, it will be the priority of the PNC government to allocate sufficient funds to rehabilitate the whole judicial system in the country. The reciprocal duty of the law community, comprising the Judiciary, the Judicial Service, the Bar and related personnel, would involve a thorough review of the modalities of their operation so as to restructure the entire system in a manner that reflects the needs of our times and those of the presently unfolding globalised world.

After appropriate consultations, legislation shall be introduced through Parliament to ensure a wide range of reforms in the judicial system. These will include extending the jurisdiction of the Magistrate Courts to handle more types of cases. Accordingly, as stated earlier, the creation of a more rewarding environment and improved conditions of service should help in filling all existing and future vacancies for magistrates, as part of the process of decongesting our Superior Courts.

Flowing from the above, a PNC government will appoint both an Attorney-General and a Minister for Justice. The latter will be in charge of overseeing all the justice sector reforms that successive Attorneys-General, doubling as Ministers for Justice, have been too busy to effectively deploy and monitor.

The office of the Attorney-General will consequently be freed up to concentrate on speeding up the prosecution of criminal cases and providing top-notch legal advice and representation to the government in civil cases.

The existing legal aid system will be adequately funded, so that a greater number of people with limited means can have access to proper legal representation in our courts. Meanwhile, steps will be taken to ensure that these services are delivered efficiently and fairly and in a manner that ensures the effective use of state resources.

III. DEALING WITH CORRUPTION

Corruption in the public and private spheres is a canker that a PNC government will deal firmly with. To this end, our government shall institute proactive measures to include:

1.      The establishment of a special unit to use innovative mechanisms to keep an eye on the activities of public officials, private companies and foreign investors to nip this practice in the bud.

2.      The provision of adequate resources from a dedicated fund to the Economic and Organized Crime Office (EOCO) and the Commission of Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) so that they are able to deal swiftly and effectively with cases of corruption.

3.      The effective application of penalties against persons who are found to be corrupt.

IV. INFORMED CONSENSUS FOR EVERY CRITICAL POLICY ISSUE

The PNC believes that all citizens, regardless of their ethnic, political, economic and other circumstances are shareholders in an enterprise called Ghana. This is why our Party’s founder Dr. Hilla Limann set our ideology as Ghana. As a Party that believes in consensus building, several innovative political and economic measures that would be instituted include the following:

1.      There shall be a truly genuine national government of integrity.

2.      The President shall meet the press at least once in every 60 days or shorter periods (depending on the issues), so as to respond to citizens' questions on policy decisions of the government and take their input.

3.      Plebiscites shall be organized on truly crucial issues, so as to seek the most prevailing views of the population. Complementary strategies will include the use of open public forums and credible polls of relevant target groups in the population who stand to be affected by the relevant policies.

4.      The PNC policy of injecting accountability, efficiency and the absence of political influences in appointments to top executive positions in the Civil and Public Services will be strictly enforced.

5.      The capabilities of the National Commission on Civic Education (NCCE) will be greatly enhanced and civic education included in the curriculums of all levels of the educational spectrum and in the activities of various public institutions. The average citizen must be helped to understand the costs and benefits attached to each significant potential policy.

6.      A more transparent and continuous exercise for all eligible voters to register and thereby eliminate all the lingering dissatisfaction and controversy surrounding similar exercises during the recent past that deprived many citizens of their fundamental birth right of the vote.

7.      A simple, low cost, democratic and most indisputably level playing fields will be provided for all political parties to campaign for votes during elections at national and grassroots levels. The process shall start with relevant consultations between the Electoral Commission and registered political parties for developing a timetable for elections.

8.      Through the state-owned and other privately owned media (radio, TV, the press) equal time or space shall be provided for each of the parties/candidates. Accordingly, voters will have the fullest opportunity to judge and make their own choices.

9.      A PNC-led government will endeavor to expose to the citizens, as much as is feasible,  the functions of the executive and legislative arms of the government. Part of this shall be reflected in the following innovations:

a.       Through innovative use of the electronic media, strategies will be explored for the population to be more aware of the work of Parliament and Parliamentarians.

b.      In order to instill discipline and hard work in decentralized Departments of the Civil Service, District Assemblies shall have the power to hire and fire in a manner similar in objectivity and transparency that a PNC administration shall adopt for appointments in the Civil and Public Services.

c.       To ensure that the taxpayer gets value for money, local oversight committees shall be used to monitor various uses of public funds and to ensure that both public sector and private-sector projects are environmentally friendly and those that are funded with taxpayer monies are undertaken efficiently.

V. WOMEN AND CHILDREN

There have been a number of positive developments towards gender equality in Ghana, including an affirmative action policy for women’s representation on government and public boards, government programs to improve women’s access to micro-credit, the provision of paid maternity leave and the establishment of a domestic violence support unit within the police service. However, discriminatory social norms and practices continue to present obstacles to women’s empowerment.

A PNC government will ensure that all obstacles are removed to guarantee women’s empowerment. Although Ghana has achieved gender parity in primary school enrolments, gender gaps remain in secondary education and higher, economic participation and political empowerment.  PNC will endeavor to bridge the gap.

The PNC shall study and adapt relevant measures that other countries have successfully employed in easing the plight of women, such as in handling domestic violence in a manner that promotes cohesion in families and getting rid of discrimination against women. The emphasis shall be on improving their income-earning capacities, self-esteem and indispensable relevance to our national economic and social development.

The PNC recognizes that we live in an age and within unfolding world conditions in which children form a unique constituency. Since they cannot vote, adults tend to be dismissive of the unique potential contributions of ideas and perspectives of children toward their own welfare and also to national progress. As a result, these future adults have very little or no inputs into many decisions that affect them and the future that they shall surely inherit. A PNC administration will  develop procedures that protect children in such matters as:

1.      Free, compulsory, universal,  basic, education for all children of school going age up to the senior high school level.

2.      Establishing channels through which children can discuss issues related to their unique circumstances and develop recommendations that the government shall review and implement.

3.      Providing foster facilities and social safety nets for partially offsetting the declining effectiveness of our traditional extended family structures.

4.      Provide special facilities to support girls that get pregnant while attending school.

5.      Implement laws that make it illegal to engage the services of a child as house-help, unless adequate measures are simultaneously put in place for the child to continue his education.

VI. PEOPLES WITH DISABILITY (PWDs)

Disability is a problem that cuts across all countries, all cultures, and all social strata. In poor countries the problem is more severe. The vast majority of persons with disability in Ghanaian lacks basic assistive devices and communication aids. For those who can afford devices such as wheelchairs, obstacles are everywhere,-buildings, buses, streets, parks. Yet, the physical barriers are mild compared with the social barriers.   

Millions of people all over the world view disability as retribution for past sins and a cause for shame. There are hundreds of thousands of households where kids with disability are actually hidden away. Even privileged Ghanaian often fails to understand that a person with a disability can lead an independent life.

Our strategy would be to support innovative work in education, health care, transportation, surgery, assistive devices and communication aids for persons with disability; equip them with capacities that will make them self-reliant; assist them to develop their talents; remove those from the streets, rehabilitate them and equip them with capacities that will make them ready for global challenges.    

The PNC’s strategy will include equitable educational opportunities and the chance for all children with “non-severe special education needs” to be incorporated into mainstream schools.

A PNC government will put in place a quota system so that employers with a certain number of employees are obliged to have a percentage of PWDs employed. However, PWDs employed in the public sector will be entitled to a disability allowance. The allowance will be paid out of the monthly payroll by the government.

A PNC government will ensure that people with disability will be covered by the national health insurance scheme at cost to government. The insurance will cover most ordinary diseases and some types of accidents. Rehabilitation services, appliances, and prostheses will be included in the insurance scheme.

The government will promote disability friendly roads, transport, and housing facilities, and ensure access of PWDs to effective health care and adequate medical rehabilitation services. Women with disabilities will enjoy the same rights and privileges as their male counterparts.  Law enforcement personnel in cases of arrest, detention, trial and confinement of PWDs will take into account the nature of their disabilities. People with disabilities will have access to the same opportunities in recreational activities and sports as other citizens.

A PNC government will promote community based rehabilitation programs as a means of empowering and ensuring the full participation of PWDs in society.

VII. NATIONAL SECURITY

Only a secure national can be governed. The sanctity and security of our national constitution and territorial integrity are paramount to our existence as a nation. Therefore, to ensure their inviolability, national security under a PNC administration shall be given maximum attention and support to deliver on its mandate of protecting the National Constitution and territorial integrity of Ghana. In this connection, the Armed Forces, the Police and other security agencies charged with this task shall be modernized and re-equipped with the latest weapons and hardware to make them second to none in Africa.

All entry points and government establishments shall have close circuit monitoring systems to enhance the work of national security. In addition, a PNC administration shall re-introduce the border guard concept to effectively police our porous borders. We shall also establish Army and Police Reserves to be called up in time of national emergencies. The customs, immigration, prison service, fire service, National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) and other emergency services shall be modernized and well-resourced to deliver on their mandates.

VIII. NARCOTICS

The dangers of the narcotic trade to the stability of nations are too grave to contemplate. Guinea Bissau, Mexico and other South American countries are examples of nations whose stability have been compromised by the narcotic trade. Drug abuse and increasing international trafficking of drugs through our airports, harbours and other channels pose a major threat to the very fabric of our society. As this is a global canker, our government shall link up with other governments and international crime fighting agencies to device mutual strategies to combat it.

Our administration shall further institute measures to effectively make narcotic crimes very unenviable propositions. This is to help deter potential drug dealers from engaging in the trade and using Ghana as a transit point.

We shall confiscate assets of drug traffickers and barons in accordance with national and international laws. We shall equip our security services and anti-drug agencies to effectively check drug traffickers. We shall also motivate the relevant personnel so that they are not compromised by drug traffickers and barons.

Our administration shall incentivise the general public to report cases of narcotic trafficking and other related crimes.

A PNC administration will generally ensure that the police and related security agencies increase their effectiveness in stamping out this menace and will initiate a saturating anti-narcotics campaign throughout the entire spectrum of our educational institutions and in the various forums that are popular among the youth.

IX. THE ARMED FORCES AND THE COMMUNITY

As enshrined in our Constitution, the personnel in our Armed Forces, (the Army, the Navy and the Air Force), have the specific role of defending the territorial integrity of our country against external predator nations or aggression. A PNC administration shall ensure that personnel of the Armed Forces continue to do this.

The Armed Forces shall be the main and ultimate source of coercive force of the State. Therefore, wherever special emergencies make joint exercises with the military necessary, the Armed Forces shall still play a subordinate role, but never leadership in enforcing civil laws and regulations that should rightly be undertaken by other agencies such as the Police, Tax Officers, Customs Officers, and Immigration Officers. Fully embroiling the military in these other responsibilities degrades the service and destroys confidence in their ability to perform their real duties, which are mainly the defense of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the country against any form of external aggression.

Meanwhile, Ghana shall continue to take part in international peacekeeping operations abroad in which our Armed Forces have commendably distinguished themselves and which affords them indispensable field exposure. Peace keeping especially the United Nations Peacekeeping and Peace Support operations are now a source of foreign exchange for many troop-contributing countries since the United Nations financially reimburses these countries for not only their troops but also the equipment that they deploy in these operational theatres. In fact, peacekeeping is now about the largest foreign exchange earner for countries like Bangladesh and Nepal which do  not have Ghana’s experience and exposure, yet are far better equipped than the Ghana Contingents in such peacekeeping theatres.

A PNC government will reverse this trend by properly equipping all Ghanaian Peacekeeping contingents abroad with the aim of not only acquiring foreign exchange for the country but also training our soldiers and contributing to world peace under the auspices of the United Nations.

X. THE POLICE, IMMIGRATION, CUSTOMS, EXCISE AND PREVENTIVE SERVICE (CEPS) OF THE GHANA REVENUE AUTHORITY.

The responsibilities of members of the Police Service get them involved in every human condition. It is important that as modern life becomes more complex, the police should not increasingly be saddled with responsibilities that belong to other agencies. Nonetheless, as the times become more challenging, so must the police be physically trim and versatile in various skills. Some training facilities should progressively be provided toward achieving this objective. A list of skills and special awards attached to each shall be advertised and these shall weigh heavily toward accelerating the promotion of those who pass rigorous tests in them. These skills shall include:

1. Communication abilities in French, since Ghana is surrounded by Francophone countries.
2. Basic computer skills.
3. First aid techniques, swimming and life-saving techniques.
4. Competence in operating motorized vehicles.

Ghana is a member of ECOWAS, whose treaty of association allows its citizens the privilege to travel, work and live in any member country. Similar to most activities worldwide, criminals have now also gone global or international. Therefore, Ghana is now more open to itinerant criminals, fugitives from justice in their own countries and similar unwelcome guests. These new factors that are bound to get worse are already straining the efforts of our security agencies.

A PNC administration shall commit more resources toward modernizing the capabilities of the Service in such matters as:

1. Improved communications networks, including the digitalization and computerization of fingerprint facilities.
2. Improved detection capabilities through vastly better forensic capabilities, DNA-typing, in coordination with the national specialized laboratory (as identified in this Manifesto) that would make it no longer necessary for certain specimens to be sent abroad for laboratory tests.
3. Competence in handling Internet and related cyber fraud.
4. Intensive and regularly updated training both locally and abroad.
5. Exchange programmes with police services of other countries.
6. Improved transportation facilities, including helicopter services, patrol vehicles fitted with VHF radios so as drastically to keep shrinking the period between a crime being reported and the police arriving at the scene.

The effectiveness of the police will always depend on cooperation from various elements of the public. Therefore, to augment the efforts at making the nation more secure, community involvement in policing will be encouraged. In relation to solving specific problems, vehicle-owning volunteers will be used in helping the police to identify and arrest violators of the traffic code and drivers who become unnecessarily rude, threatening or violent toward pedestrians or towards other drivers.

In consultation with the police and other security agencies, a PNC government shall immediately declare and set a period of 60 days of an amnesty for the surrender of all illegal and unlicensed weapons of all kinds, including pistols, rifles, machine guns, grenades, special assault knives. Centres shall be declared at vantages points of the country including conflict-prone areas where these types of offensive weapons will be deposited without any questions being asked. After the period of amnesty, the security agencies shall be empowered to take appropriate measures to enforce the existing laws governing legal and illegal possession of arms and ammunition.

XI. THE PRISONS

Our prisons have become rapidly overcrowded with convicts and others on remand. These conditions threaten to get worse and no country can afford an endless construction of prisons, with emphasis on custodial care. The issues are complex and a PNC administration would explore the most contemporary approaches used in various countries for adaptation to suit our own conditions and culture.

The ideas gained from these investigations shall form part of the total that would be discussed at a national forum on this issue and its recommendations used to begin restructuring our custodial care and related prison services. The practice of suspended sentences and parole shall seriously be considered and adopted in respect of some category of prisoners who are halfway through their sentence and have demonstrated a genuine posture of reform. This will go a long way to decongest our prisons and rehabilitate prisoners back into society.

XII. THE FIRE SERVICE

Fire prevention and fire extinguishing are now more important aspects of urbanization and industrialization than most of us realise. In the recent past there have been fire out breaks in extreme proportions most of which engulfed private and public facilities with our ill-equipped National Fire Service helplessly looking on.

A PNC administration intends to undertake a frontal attack in solving our age-old problem of annual bush-fire seasons in the savannah areas of most of the three northern regions, parts of Brong Ahafo and occasionally in some patches in the southern regions. Meanwhile, rampant deforestation and extensive artisanal mining operations during the past 25 years have now exposed many previous forest areas further to the south to similar fire hazards and menace.

The policies of a PNC administration shall include:

1. Intensive and saturating educational programmes about the hazards of bush burning to rice, various food and cash crops and biodiversity shall be disseminated throughout the entire educational spectrum, at community markets, lorry parks and just about every public occasion in the adversely affected areas.
2. Placing a great deal of responsibility on traditional rulers and local oversight committees to assist in dissuading potential bush burners and helping the Police and Fire Services with information about transgressors.
3. Using paid informants and award of prizes for information leading to significant arrests  of bush burners.
4. Stiff custodial penalties for those convicted of bush burning.
5. The government boosting economic growth that can create alternative productive activities (small game rearing, poultry, fish-farming) that would make the hunt for rodents and other wild game through bush burning unnecessary.
6. Intensive afforestation involving, wherever possible, multiple-purpose trees. This will require a close collaboration between the Fire Service and the Forestry Commission.

In connection with our industries and our homes, there is a need to review the building codes and building inspection procedures, so as to make these premises safe for workers (in the case of factories) and residents (in the case of residential accommodation). All factories and industrial concerns will be required to have their premises designed and built in consonance with the fire safety law. Premises will be inspected by the Fire Service and issued with fire safety certificates. All such concerns who fail to meet these fire safety standards shall be closed down until they meet the standard. 

THE NATIONAL ECONOMY

Since the overthrow of the PNP administration of Dr. Hilla Limann, there have been countless economic reform programmes aimed at improving the lives of Ghanaians. From the Structural Adjustment Programme, through the Vision 2020, to the Golden Age of Business, and the Better Ghana Agenda, we have seen very laudable programmes aimed at resuscitating the national economy.

However, the fact still remains that the aspirations of Ghanaians are still unfulfilled. Against the background of a vicious cycle of economic decline, the PNC will rehabilitate the ruins of the various sectors of the national economy and give it a new direction, hence the theme of our manifesto, rehabilitation, redirection, youth empowerment and economic growth.

We are now a middle-income economy, in theory, but this newly acquired status is not felt by the ordinary Ghanaian in terms of her real income level or in the cost of goods and services.

I. THE OBJECTIVES OF THE PNC ECONOMIC POLICIES

The objectives of PNC economic policies include creating and sustaining:

1.      Confidence in our monetary and financial sector;

2.      More employment opportunities;

3.      Increased incomes;

4.      Relatively low but stable prices of goods and services;

5.      Youth economic empowerment avenues;

6.      Increasing production at all level of the national economy; and

7.      General economic growth and development.

Our administration shall also drastically reduce poverty and generate enough government savings, so as to:

1.      Reduce the level of both our internal and external debts;

2.      Increase the level of our national self-reliance and thereby our ability to self-finance our national investments in all economic sectors;

3.      Improve the effectiveness of law and order, as well as the services of the various security agencies; and

4.      Create positive economic and related environments that boost private investment.

 

No country has ever made any meaningful progress on the basis of reliance or dependence on foreign handouts and on citizens playing subordinate roles in running the economy. The Asian tigers such as South Korea, Malaysia and India have attained middle-income status not through donor support but from their own resources and through hard work. Therefore, a PNC administration will explore all the available strategies that would encourage self-reliance at personal, district, regional and national levels. As part of this objective of increasing national self-reliance, employment, improvements in our human capital and increases in our national reserves of foreign exchange, a PNC administration shall ensure that:

1.      Institutions of the private sector, civil society organizations and citizens continuously monitor the structure of both imports and exports in order to keep identifying items that Ghana already can or has a comparative advantage in producing.

2.      The various Ministries and Regional Administrations shall assemble, verify and collate all the information that is received from various sources and process them for the government to decide on needed courses of action.

3.      The task of the government will be to offer all the assistance that may be necessary for boosting private efforts by citizens and non-citizen entrepreneurs and investors.

4.      Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) are more accountable in making their program more clearly linked to government policies for economic and social development of our nation.

Our citizens are the most important resource that our nation needs for the journey we wish to undertake from our current levels of poverty to national prosperity. Therefore, a PNC administration shall give priority to capacity building and skills training across all sectors of the national economy to improve efficiency and productivity. The ultimate objective of his policy is to give opportunity to all Ghanaians both home and in the Diaspora to be part of the economic redirection and rehabilitation process and create a people centered stage within which Ghanaians shall progressively:

1.      Be in command of their own economy;

2.      Be better clothed and better fed;

3.      Enjoy better health;

4.      Be more educated as measured on our educational spectrum;

5.      Increase more opportunities for employment; and

6.      Have more self-esteem and be more reconciled to each other.

The emphasis shall be on productivity, regardless of formal educational status.

More so now than at any time in Ghana’s history, a government under the PNC shall use a more effective partnership between the private and public sectors for creating a people-centered state within which Ghanaians can progressively grow their economy and create well paying jobs.

The PNC’s commitment to our citizens to own the economy is total. Therefore, under any conditions of competitive bidding, priority shall be given to Ghanaian venture capital.

The role of government, as reflected in various sectors of this document shall only be to create the right infrastructure and suitable economic environment, so as to boost and sustain Ghanaian private initiatives. Every reference to government policy throughout this document is influenced by these considerations.

Measures for achieving the objectives mentioned so far, including national economic recovery shall be rehabilitation, redirection, youth empowerment and economic growth.

II. LANDS AND NATURAL RESOURCE MANAGEMENT

We presently lose about 65, 000 hectares of our forest cover each year to reckless exploitation of this vital natural resource. This has been compounded by the disturbing phenomenon of large scale illegal mining in our forest reserves sometimes with the open connivance of politicians and  traditional authorities.

In the last fifty-five years, Ghana’s forest cover has fallen from 8.2 million hectares to 1.6 million hectares. Odum (wood tree) and other species of hardwood have rapidly been depleted and qualify as endangered species.

Therefore, while poverty has speedily hit many sections of our population, similar adverse effects have made our lands poorer in terms of forest cover. Of course, because of ecological interdependence, the same retrograde factors have also adversely affected the volume and diversity in our wildlife.

The dry and dusty conditions linked with the annual Harmattan season in the Sahel areas to the north are now felt in our coastal areas as well. Matters are getting worse because the Sahara Desert is drifting southwards and gains a few more kilometers each year. There is a very silent national crisis and a resolute response from a PNC administration shall include the following:

1.      Implementation of a  holistic national program of forestry development and exploitation within each of our administrative regions of the nation.

2.      Intensification of the ongoing re-afforestation program and extending it nationwide.

3.      A frontal attack on the progressive impoverishment of our nation through pillage of our forests and other non-renewable resources.

4.      Mobilization of public resources,  the private sector, the children in school and students in our secondary and tertiary institutions for serious afforestation. With a national population of 25 million, if half of our population were to plant one tree per person each year, including fruit trees, we would rescue the forests.

5.    Afforestation schemes for lands bordering river basins and dams, to help conserve our water resources, increase fish breeding and protect the land against soil erosion.

6.      Development of village woodlots, especially in Savannah areas and locations.

7.    Promotion of bamboo plantations throughout the nation for multipurpose use that include their function in measures against soil erosion and the speediest strategy for abundant sources of: building and roofing materials (for scaffolding, props for concrete works, rafters, purling, etc); substitution for timber boards, ceiling, partitions and related products in construction; the manufacture of furniture and several household items for both local consumption and for exports.

8.      Promotion of private sector investments through the use of tax and other incentives in the use of bamboo for the manufacture of products for domestic consumption and for exports.

9.      Extending the annual period of no hunting, so as to help revive and build up greater variety in biodiversity and in currently depleted stocks of wild game.

10.  Efforts to prevent, retard and control bush fires, in places where they occurs.

As part of our social policy and effort to fighting for the Ghanaian interest, our administration shall put in new mining reforms to regulate the entitlement proceeds going to foreign mining companies and the inhabitants of our mining communities. The intention is to ensure a fair treatment to our local inhabitants of the mining areas. We shall achieve this by paying more attention to developing the mining communities through taking back the proceeds from our mines. We will also ensure that the costs and the benefits of mining are equitably shared.

Again, we shall help to regulate the indigenous mining system popularly called “GALAMSEY” in a friendly way. The huge legal and administrative constraints that keep them underground will be eased so that they can easily contribute their quota to growing the economy. Our Government shall support them with mining equipment, capital, as well as protection from unfair external competitions.

III. AGRICULTURE AND FOOD SECURITY

Agriculture still remains the main stay of the nation’s economy. The agricultural sector, given the right attention, has the fastest and highest potential of creating jobs, increasing incomes, reducing poverty, boosting foreign exchange earnings through exports and above all providing food security for our people

FOOD PRODUCTION

Food production is the CPU (central processing unit) of the nation. It provides the fuel that drives the nation-food is life. That is why the PNC finds the present high cost of food unacceptable as it is beyond the reach of the ordinary Ghanaian. The PNC also finds unacceptable the present situation whereby the bulk of the nation’s foreign exchange is spend on the importation of food that can be produced locally.

Our commitment is to reverse this trend and produce food in abundance to make it so cheap that food would be the least of the worries of the Ghanaian. In furtherance of this objective and in accordance with our rehabilitation and redirection policy, our administration shall adopt the operation feed yourself-program of the Acheampong era, re-package it and make it the flag ship programme for solving the food security needs of the nation. The new operation feed yourself programme of the PNC shall be an integrated program comprising the government, farmers, financial institutions, agricultural mechanization companies, input suppliers and industry on a revolving basis. The methodology of the program shall be to group small scale farmers who produce the bulk of the nation’s food and the youth into co-operatives and make them the main vehicle for achieving food sufficiency for the nation. The roles of the various critical players in this methodology are detailed below.

GOVERNMENT

The government, through the department of co-operatives and the ministry of agriculture, shall organize small scale farmers and the youth into co-operatives, acquire suitable farm land, provide irrigation facilities, arrange mechanization services, arrange and guarantee loans from financial institutions, arrange supply of farm inputs, supervise application of inputs, monitor performance of farms from planting to harvesting and ensure prompt repayment of loans.

FARMERS COOPERATIVES

Members of the cooperative groups, who shall be the beneficiaries of the scheme, shall be responsible for the application of farm inputs under the supervision of agricultural extension officers, maintenance of farms and harvesting of farm produce. Upon harvesting, farmers shall pay loans in kind with their produce at the farm gate.

BANKS/FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS

Banks/financial institutions shall provide loans under guarantee by government. No cash disbursement shall be involved. The banks shall simply debit the accounts of farmers with the total cost of mechanization services, inputs, farm maintenance and harvesting and credit the accounts of service providers. Industries, upon receipt of farmers' produce shall pay for produce by cheques to the banks. The banks then credit the accounts of farmers to pay off their debts.

INPUT SUPPLIERS

Suppliers of inputs such as improved seeds, fertilizers and weedicides shall supply farmers with required quantities and the cost of inputs credited to their accounts by the banks/financial institutions upon certification by extension officers.

MECHANISATION COMPANIES

The PNC shall depoliticise the sale or supply of farm machinery to individuals. Instead, our administration shall facilitate and encourage the establishment of plant pools of farm machinery by the private sector to be sited at appropriate locations to provide prompt and timely services to farmers at approved rate. As part of the methodology of our food production policy, mechanization companies shall plough the farms of the various cooperatives groups and their accounts credited with the cost of ploughing by the banks upon certification by agriculture extension officers.

INDUSTRY

Industries such as rice mills, oil mills, and green banks (the buffer stock company, for example) shall receive the farm produce that shall be gathered by government officials as payments for farmers’ loans. Upon the receipts of the produce, industries shall pay by cheque the total value of the produce at agreed guaranteed prices and the cheques lodged with the banks in the names of the various farmers groups.

SPECIAL INITIATIVES

LAND FOR AGRICULTURE

To further ensure that the nation achieves food sufficiency within the shortest possible time, our government shall acquire large tracts of lands and lease them to individuals, co-operate organizations, companies and investors who may wish to do large scale farming. Public servants and private individuals will be encouraged and assisted to do backyard farming. High yielding crop varieties and scientific methods of farming will be introduced to farmers to increase yields.

FOOD STORAGE

A PNC administration will rehabilitate abandoned silos and build new ones across the country. This will help in improving the food storage system in the country to reduce post-harvest losses. The intention is to provide food security for lean periods and in times of national disasters like crop failures due to bad weather conditions, crucial fire outbreaks, and intense national flooding.

IRRIGATION

More irrigation dams will be constructed across the country to enable all year round farming. To facilitate easy transportation of farm produce and people to urban areas, feeder roads linking all food production areas will be given high priority. A railway network to aid in transportation will be another priority of a PNC administration.

COCOA

The PNC administration will aim at increasing cocoa production from the present 1million metric tons to about 1.5million metric tons within the first four years of our stay in office. We shall achieve this by replanting all fallow cocoa farms, mass distribution of fertilizers, ensuring accessibility of chemicals by farmers, and effective measures to stop smuggling of cocoa, including moving cocoa depots away from boarders to curtail smuggling.

SHEANUT

The sheanut industry will be given a boost to play a major role in the national economy. We will  establish large plantations of sheanut trees so that pickers will no longer depend on the wild sheanut trees only. A sheanut marketing board will be established to oversee development of the sheanut industries. We will expand and create more sheabutter factories to create more jobs for youth and women in the northern and other parts of Ghana, and initiate policy to make it a viable source of income.

FISHING

Our government will review the existing fishing laws and block all loopholes that tend to put our fisher folks at a disadvantage. We shall also explore other ways of reviving and revamping the fishing industry. In this direction, our administration will tackle and solve the perennial problem of non-availability of pre-mix fuels and other fishing inputs. We will work closely with the Ghana National Association of Farmers and Fishermen to explore ways of assembling out board motors and manufacturing fishing nets locally. We will make fish farming a key module under the national youth employment program to encourage the youth to engage in fish farming.

SOCIAL AND PUBLIC SERVICES

I. HEALTH

A healthy Nation is a prosperous Nation. During the period 1951-1966, a carefully planned National Health Service Scheme was set up. The number of doctors registered each year was raised from an average of 5 to 58. Well-equipped regional hospitals, many urban hospitals, polyclinics and a comprehensive network of rural health centers were established. A medical school and a number of nursing and paramedical training schools were also established. Ghanaians enjoyed free and reasonably satisfactory medical services. Attempts were made to improve environmental engineering and protection.

When it comes to health, the PNC firmly believes that the most important resource that a nation has is its population. Our society shall live in good health, both body and mind; we shall deploy our diverse cultural heritage to protect sustainable living. We will work relentlessly to massively rehabilitate the decay in our hospitals nationwide. All hospitals will be re-equipped with ultra-modern facilities and needed drugs to face the current and future challenges in the health delivery system. We will build many more hospitals, polyclinics, health care centers, medical training schools and a number of nursing and paramedical training institutes nationwide. Our government will concentrate on the training of medical personnel, midwives, physician assistants, nurses and many more young doctors.

We will review the operation of our brainchild, the National Health Insurance Scheme, with the view to strengthening and expanding it, and set up a Health Maintenance Organization to monitor and check the proper use of the scheme and advise government accordingly.

Maternal and infant mortality will be tackled by co-coordinating existing programs and making them more efficient. Our trained midwives, especially those in small rural communities, will be mandated to improve upon antenatal classes in their communities to educate expectant mothers on little lifestyle changes that can improve their well-being and that of their unborn babies.

Our administration will rehabilitate the existing ones and build more mental hospitals and clinics to address the increasing problem of mental patients roaming in our streets. Treated mental patients will be reabsorbed into the society with assistance from the government in the form of housing and training. A policy will be instituted where families will be educated to bring members who are mentally ill to hospitals for treatment and rehabilitation.

All public buildings, public transports and public places will be designed with appropriate facilities to meet the needs of persons with physical disability.

With regards to sanitation, a PNC administration will introduce an educational policy in our schools and communities as well as reintroduce the community sanitation inspectors in our local communities to monitor and collaborate with individual households to ensure discipline and positive attitudes towards maintaining a clean environment in public places and individual homes. We will put up different kinds of bins at vantage places across the country and build more toilet facilities in our communities. We will use the three R’s of sanitation, that is Recycle, Refill, and Reuse, and as well initiate seminars to educate people on waste disposal, environmental pollution and sanitation. We will also use the media to telecast educative information on TV, radio and in print media as a strategy to instill good habits of sanitation. We will put up landfill sites and recycle our waste.

II. EDUCATION

Our educational standards and attainments have fallen very badly, simultaneously as the costs are increasing beyond the means of most families. We are producing more people who are either frustrated in having no opportunities for further educational advancement or, as happens to secondary school and university graduates, cannot find jobs. Yet quality of education of our youth is the foundation for Ghana’s prosperity.

A PNC administration will review the curricula of education from the basic to tertiary level and will not only provide free compulsory education but also quality education for our people. We will put in place measures to improve teacher willingness to impart knowledge to students, as well as allocate funding and create a mechanism to give salary top-ups and accommodation facilities to teachers who work in deprived areas. This mechanism would include an evaluation component that will demonstrate whether or not the additional funds result in an improved teacher/student ratio and in better examination results.

PNC will aim at equipping teachers with new improved ways of instruction; to make teaching and learning more useful, meaningful and effective, as well as introduce an entrepreneurial studies component in our schools. We will build and create world class Universities and comprehensive technical and vocational institutions of education for our school dropouts and also institute policies to make students become more creative and innovative in their studies.

Our government will ensure that tertiary institutions accessing public funding offer priority programs for national development in line with the nation's Long Term Development Plan and also reform the polytechnics to focus on technical and industry based programs and not to compete with the universities for social science programs. We will expand the mandate of the student loans trust fund to cover private tertiary Ghanaian students, and establish a competitive research and development fund for all tertiary institutions to carry out development oriented research activities to develop and commercialize products.

PNC will promote specialization in information and communication technology in colleges of education and resource centers in each circuit center at the basic level. In collaboration with the Disability Council, the PNC will ensure that all persons with disability will realise their right to information, education and the skills to improve their human and technical capabilities, so that they can create jobs and also be capable of accessing gainful employment.

We will decentralize the management of the Capitation Grants to ensure that schools in deprived districts receive more as compared to those in endowed municipalities and metropolises. We shall also ensure that the capitation grant reaches all schools before the beginning of each term, as well set up a system to evaluate the impact of educational programs such as the capitation grant, Ghana school feeding program, free text books, free exercise books and free school uniforms to improve upon access to education and quality of education at the basic level.

More attention will be paid to technical and vocational training programs across the country to train and prepare more youth for the practical world. The intention is to help the youth create jobs rather than keep looking for jobs, and to de-emphasize the minds of people from concentrating on white collar jobs rather than acting practically to create jobs out of their professions. This policy by the PNC will certainly help in producing more professionals rather than graduates who will put pressure on central government for non-existing jobs.

For those who gain admission into formal vocational institutions, the policy of the PNC is to make available adequate resources of workshops, laboratories and competent teaching staff. All polytechnics shall be upgraded to university status and they would now be able to award a variety of certificates right up to degrees. Past students who have attained Higher National Diplomas (HND) can return, if they so wish, for core courses that would entitle those who pass them to be awarded bachelor's degrees.

Our national education policies and the type of future generations of Ghanaians that our nation is able to produce depend on the quality of teachers at all levels of our educational system, from nursery schools right up to our universities. Their conditions of service are as important as the productivity we expect from them.

Recognizing that the foundation and prosperity of every state is the quality of education of its youth, the PNC has a viable education policy. Nonetheless, education is so critical that it should benefit from policies and strategies that have evolved from a national consensus on all aspects of policy and implementation strategies related to a new educational policy for the nation. This will include educational planning that can consistently meet the manpower needs of the economy. 

Accordingly, within 100 days of assuming power, a PNC administration will organize a national forum for much needed consensus on policies for the entire spectrum of education. The PNC believes that education is a birth right and the nation is obligated to ensure that citizens attain the highest level of relevant education that their aptitudes and talents justify.

Adult education and other non-formal types of education such as those related to civic, cultural and moral education shall critically be reappraised and given deserved emphasis. A PNC administration plans to rid Ghana of illiteracy within 4 years or less. This can be achieved through creating fresh employment opportunities by using as many as are willing of our large population of graduates of Senior High Schools, polytechnics, universities and various other tertiary educational institutions.

The national service scheme needs to be made more relevant to the changing economic and other conditions within the country. Therefore, the public forum approach that a PNC administration would be using as part of efforts at democratic consultation would help evolve transparent policies that the government would apply to help make our national service scheme more of a reality.

III. HOUSING

Housing programmes have so far been pursued in favor of high-income groups to the neglect of workers and other low-income earners. Meanwhile, our nation can tap the wealth of information on relatively low-cost local building designs and materials such as earth, brick and tile, wood and sand Crete available at the Architecture Department of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) and at the Building and Roads Research Institute (BRRI) of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR).

We will change the town and country planning department into an authority in order to vest in it more powers and extend its roles and mandate to execute challenges facing our housing infrastructure sector in the country. These include perennial flooding, sanitation, a huge housing deficit and illegal structures. The Government will help intensify collaborative efforts between the town and planning authority and the survey department to help solve challenges of our infrastructural needs.

Our Government as part of its policy will commit a percentage of its total annual budget into putting up high rise public buildings and well planned communities to make housing accessible to all Ghanaians who cannot afford to build their own houses.  This is to help reduce the current housing challenges facing the country by making good use of our available lands and to cushion public officials on their incomes. To do this, the PNC will bring together all stakeholders in the housing industry and task them to meet the governments housing targets within four years. The houses provided shall be given out to people on tenant owner basis.

The PNC believes that the only way that present high rents in the country can be brought down is massive investment in the provision of low-cost rental units for workers. Our policies include:

1. Use of tax incentives and other fiscal measures to boost private sector investment for increasing the volume of residential accommodation, with emphasis on those for low-income groups.
2. The status of the State Housing Company (SHC), the Tema Development Corporation (TDC) and all other similar agencies charged with the provision of houses shall be reviewed with a view to making their operations more in the interest of our workers.
3. Suitable loans and related strategies shall be developed to assist rural residents and private investors in rural areas for systematic increases in home construction.

IV. INDUSTRY

Our political history has ensured that our industries are all near collapsing or have collapsed. A PNC government will endeavor to move Ghana from the big supermarket it has become to a self-reliant society where most of products consumed by our populace are produced locally.

Representative measures that a PNC administration shall implement include:

1. Strategies for Ghana to attain import substitution of about 50% of GDP within 20 years or less (in line with our LTDP) for items that Ghana has potential comparative advantage in their production, especially those for which we can use local raw materials and other inputs.
2. Given the importance that the PNC attaches to exports, the President shall chair a high-powered Export Promotion and Import-Substitution Council (EPIC), so as to offer the needed executive attention and boost.
3. In cooperation with business, trade unions professional bodies, we shall identify industries that national economic mismanagement of the past 30 years has forced their owners into either shutting them down or switching to trading. Assistance in phases from the public sector shall give priority initially to projects that contribute the most and the soonest to employment, incomes, exports or import-substitution and in descending order to others with less impact.
4. Identification and assessment of abandoned projects and equipment in the public sector for either rehabilitation and use for resettling workers or auction to the private sector. In this regard, all citizens and institutions shall be invited and encouraged to send to a National Crises Secretariat, information on equipment and other items in the public sector that have fallen into disuse for at least 2 years and now create unsightly congestion at various locations.
5. The “Magazine” and “Ayigbe town” of Kumasi and similar locations throughout the nation have world-class professional-level of engineering, welding, carpentry, upholstery, rattan and bamboo furniture manufacturing, kente and other types of weaving, pottery, carving, basket weaving, and various other vocational skills whose products can boost our non-traditional exports. Most of these people have been unfortunate to have had very little or no formal education and presently cannot read engineering and other technical designs. Yet, their outputs are comparably the equivalent of the best worldwide. In place of their present deplorable and unsanitary conditions, a PNC government shall start upgrading these locations through:
1. Centralising as many as are practicable at specially zoned locations;
2. Modernizing and making these locations more physically attractive, as well as environmentally friendly-the layouts shall be more rational and provided with electric power, street lighting, proper drainage, water, proper toilet and related facilities that enhance sanitation.
3. Real estate developers shall be encouraged through tax and other incentives to take part in a program of acquiring land and constructing modern workshops in existing and other new locations, so as to multiply these facilities throughout the nation. 
4. Boosting outputs of international quality of the firms located at these sites by the government, in partnership with the private sector.
5. Organizing short training courses to upgrade skills at these locations, so that they can be abreast with changes in technology-for example, helping auto mechanics and electricians to be able to handle the new breed of car engines that use more electronic inputs.
6. Coordinating programmes of local junior secondary and technical schools with those of these locations for imparting relevant skills to the youth.
7. Instituting a rational programme for the experts at these locations to take on more of the youth as apprentices who, on completing their training and passing relevant tests set by the National Vocational and Training Institute, can be awarded relevant certificates.
8. Organizing literacy and other educational programmes for workers in these enterprises, in line with our policy of making all Ghanaians literate within the first term of a PNC administration.
9. Using the most competent of these workshops or production facilities as informal tertiary institutions for students at the university level to gain additional practical skills that are relevant in the real world.
6. Important initial steps at tapping our well-trained and skilled manpower include:
1. The Ministry of Science and Technology shall use a consortium of research institutions, the private sector and the banking community to investigate each invention, help in getting patent rights and implementing of the scheme.
2. One year duty-free import of investment and personal properties for all Ghanaian who have resided abroad for at least 12 months and wish to return home to establish their businesses. An ad hoc committee made up of representatives of the domestic private sector, representatives of the self-repatriating citizens, the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA), particularly CEPS and the Ghana Investment Promotion Centre (GIPC) shall be charged with ensuring that no procedural or bureaucratic obstacles stand in the way of the smooth execution of this policy.
3. The facilities, procedures and processes of the Registrar General's department for the registration of business shall be examined with a view to reducing the period to the barest minimum.
4. Seek the cooperation of all citizens and relevant domestic and external institutions in identifying and preparing a database on relevant Ghanaian talents both at home and abroad and use the information in exploring how best to get their input into the rapid development of our country.
7. The benefits to the citizens and our nation of this PNC open-door policy would include:
1. Repatriation of Ghanaian expertise, skills and capital.
2. Reduction in the “brain drain” and in capital flight.
3. The creation of additional employment opportunities through the industries that would be established.
4. Injection of much needed innovation, fresh outlook and dynamism into various institutions of both the public and private sectors of the economy.
5. Increase in national self-reliance and, therefore, a reduction in our current crippling dependency syndrome.
6. Bringing stability to the society and to the economy at large.
7. Taking national reconciliation a step further where citizens know that their contribution to national development is based solely on its relevance but not on their political-party affiliation, ethnic or other irrelevant considerations.

V. THE HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY/ TOURISM

Tourism is an economic tool which when planted in a community expresses its positive presence through the jobs that springs from it. It then also contributes to the particular place’s exposure to the external world. It leads to the establishment of the logistics to address the needs of the visitors while they are there: food, drinks, transportation, communication, friendship, souvenirs.

Most tourist attractions are in the rural areas and so can act as a tool for poverty alleviation. It also makes people aware of their environmental cleanliness; and it helps to address social and cultural issues in a very positive way. 

A PNC administration shall endeavor to develop and make all tourist sites that have potential to become tourist attractions to become world-class tourist destinations. Our government will use innovative ways to make it attractive to Ghanaians dwelling in urban centers to visit these sites. The PNC is aware of the importance of internal tourism and will work to develop and sustain it.

The Ghana Tourist Board under a PNC government will use global media houses to advertise and promote Ghana as a desirable tourist destination. We will upgrade facilities in existing national sites to make them world class and provide support for private tourist destinations. The Ghana Tourist Board desk at the airport will be given more prominence.  

As regards our touristic potential, Ghana sits literally on a gold mine. In this regard, there are the following two aspects to a program under a PNC administration:

DOMESTIC OR INTERNAL TOURISM

It is mainly through the print and electronic media that most of our citizens gain only superficial familiarity with the social and other conditions within our country. Our Diaspora citizens and many at home have more intimate knowledge of various countries abroad than of their own. In the spirit of charity beginning at home, a PNC administration would implement the following strategies for the promotion of internal tourism:

1. Parliamentarians will be assisted to have more intimate familiarity with various aspects of national conditions through periodic visits by all of them to all regions.
2. Programmes for Diaspora Ghanaians each year to visit home with their families for vacation during a suitable period yet to be determined in consultation with their representatives. During this period, they will be encouraged to participate in a national forum selected for the year on a specific topic of vital national interest, tour the regions and interact with other citizens to help update them or fill gaps in familiarity about their country.  
3. Improve national reconciliation through encouraging our citizens to do more internal tourism for various benefits that include:

a.       Ghanaians, particularly their siblings born in the Diaspora, getting to know their country and our heritage in a more intimate manner than only through the print and electronic media.

b.      Making geography, social studies and civic education more practical for students and teachers at all levels of our educational system.

c.       Exposing potential businesspersons to various opportunities that are best experienced in person than through other channels.

BOOSTING TOURISM FROM ABROAD

The following measures shall be taken to help boost international tourism:

1. Using joint-venture business deals, tax rebates and needed incentives for boosting the construction of hotels and related guest facilities at all regional levels and similar incentives for promoting local dishes at these facilities.
2. Rehabilitation of beaches along our shores, portions along the Volta Lake and others within the country, to make them as attractive and visitor-friendly as is possible to serve an increased number of sun seekers coming as our guests from Europe and elsewhere.
3. Rehabilitation of our castles into what they were centuries ago and, if practicable, begin a programme of resurrecting them (i.e., to rise from ruin into their former respective shapes). Several of these are reported to be adequately presented in records available in the archives of Portugal, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom.
4. Retracing and developing the slave camps and routes right from Nania near Paga in the Upper East Region, through Salaga in the Northern Region, to Gwollu in the Upper West Region, all the way down through Assin Manson in the Central Region to the Castles on the Coast.
5. The establishment of craft villages where, through shops at these sites, rational strategies shall be employed to encourage the output and presentation of local crafts (kente weaving, smock production, carving, blacksmithing, pottery, leather craft, basket weaving, rattan furniture).

VI. ENERGY

In an effort to meet our energy requirements for industrialization and public consumption, a PNC led administration will adopt a mixed approach and strategy to build more hydro-electric dams to support existing ones, and exploit the abundant wind along our coastal areas to generate more electricity, further exploit the sunshine in the country to generate additional electricity, and also explore the possibility of using our nuclear reactor to generate further electricity. All this put together will make our country self-sufficient in energy production.

The PNC recognizes that no country can seriously develop without regular and dependable sources of energy. Meanwhile, reserves of our non-renewable energy resources such as oil may take some time to be exploited, much as a PNC administration would be expeditious in this matter in a manner that is mutually satisfactory to both investors and the Ghanaian population.

Meanwhile, Ghana is blessed with abundant natural endowments in energy, including renewable types. The energy from the Volta Dam is already proving inadequate for our industrial and other requirements. We are aware that the total power output from both Kpong and Akosombo Dams cannot be enough for additional projected exploitation of our Iron ore deposits near Oppong-Manso, the Bauxite project at Kibi and Nyinahin and several others. Ghana is also gradually becoming a major exporter of energy to its neighbours. All these factors call for constant exploration for additional sources of energy.

Despite currently available sophisticated transmission technology, the present energy situation in the country makes building of more dam projects even more urgent now than ever before. A PNC administration shall re-enter into negotiations with appropriate foreign investors, for the development of mini-hydro projects on some of our smaller rivers such as the Ankobra, Pra, Oti, and Tano.

Oil and gas exploration shall vigorously be pursued under such terms as would ensure maximum benefit for our people. Now that more oil and gas reserves have been discovered in the country a great deal more attention shall be put on the relatively unexplored inland basin, where the cost of exploration would not be as capital-intensive as offshore types.

A PNC led government shall vigorously promote the use of natural gas for the thermal generation of electric power and LPG for household use and to save our trees from being turned into charcoal and firewood. It will also serve as an alternative auto fuel, since this is cheaper than petrol and gasoline, as well as being environmentally friendly by emitting less greenhouse gases. Meanwhile, along with the West African Gas Pipeline (WAGP) coming on stream and the already known abundant deposits of gas in Ghana, this wider use of gas should stimulate both local and foreign investment in the gas industry. 

In our previous manifestos, we promised to establish a National Petroleum Commission as the umbrella for the effective operation of all the various governmental and parastatal agencies engaged in the petroleum industry. It is gratifying to note that our nation now has a Petroleum Commission with the responsibility to supervise prospecting for crude oil, exploitation, refining and distribution of oil products. Nonetheless, a PNC administration shall critically examine the operations of this body, so as to remove bottlenecks and related inefficiencies that have recently been alleged to be detrimental to its operations.

           

Our government shall expand and modify the existing plant capacity of our refinery in Tema so as to enable it refine a much wider spectrum of grades of crude oil and also use more advanced technologies for deriving other products of crude oil such as hydro solvents, paraffin wax, lubricating oils and bitumen. We shall lay firm foundations for a viable petrochemical industry to serve the needs of our population and also those of our sister ECOWAS countries.

As medium and long-term policies, we shall actively explore the use of non-conventional sources of renewable energy such as those of solar, nuclear and thermal sources. Solar energy is now contributing immensely to rural life in many parts of Eastern and Southern Africa. A PNC administration shall continue the rural electrification program and where practical economics dictates, solar energy shall be used for isolated or target spots and localities that are distant from power lines.

In cooperation with the private sector, a PNC administration shall encourage large-scale developments of other renewable natural fuels such as:

1.      The production of diesel from the phyxic nut (Jatropha) that a highly enterprising Ghanaian scientist has been able to develop-for all practical purposes this product has a limitless market at home and abroad.

2.      Tree planting for providing firewood and charcoal-these elements shall play a vital role in our projected iron and steel industry.

3.      The manufacture of charcoal briquettes from saw dust and   wood waste.

4.      The production of biogas from animal droppings and sewage for household fuel.

5.      As part of a revival of our sugar industry at Asutsuare, Komenda and new sites such as Fumbisi (UER), Katanga (between Kpembi and Kpandai) and other suitable locations in the nation, the use of the byproduct, sugarcane biogases, for generating electricity.

VII. SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

As far as the PNC is concerned, Ghana has no cohesive science and technology policy that can help in guiding the population, whether in the planning of the curricula at all levels of our educational system or in guiding users.  A PNC administration will promote the role of science, informatics (computerization), and technology, in our national development. Especially under present world conditions, science, technology and informatics are highly critical in speeding the economic and social development of any nation. Accordingly, we shall give priority to the evolution of national policies and program related to science and technology based on the following guidelines:

1.      Establishing a national laboratory with the most up-to-date facilities and expertise for basic testing and applied research in chemistry, DNA-typing, forensic and other applications for which various institutions in the public and private sectors of the nation now often or regularly send samples of specimens elsewhere for analysis.

2.      Post-research development, utilization and monitoring of the effects of policies and programmes sponsored by the Ministry of Science and Technology.

3.      Infusion of the most appropriate results from science and technology into all policies in our manpower development and deployment, agriculture, industry, the exploitation of our energy and other resources, as well as the protection and conservation of our flora and fauna (plants and animals).

4.      Popularisation of science and technology throughout our educational system.

5.      Encouragement of scientists, technologists, engineers and inventors to contribute more to national development.

6.      Speeding up computer literacy and application in the public and private sectors of our national economy.

7.      Exploring designs of pieces of technological hardware that can be produced locally and made more affordable to our population than those currently imported into the country.

8.      Exposing local Ghanaian talent to the Nation (private and public sectors of our economy) and the world, through the organization of annual innovators’ and inventors’ fairs.

A PNC administration shall set aside a significant amount of the Gross National Product (GNP) as a special fund exclusively for promoting practical inventions and innovations with demonstrated potential to be highly productive and for assisting capable investors to implement them.

VIII. TRANSPORTATION

As Ghana’s population increases, so does the demand for transportation infrastructure. This demand is growing much faster than the supply and as a result, there is mounting pressure on the existing transportation facilities. Research done on population increase and public infrastructure in developing countries in 2008 suggested that the highest use of public transportation is by individuals who cannot afford to purchase a vehicle. Such pressure results in rapid breakdown of the existing transport facilities and an increase in alternatives to public transportation.

In other to improve our transportation infrastructure supply to meet our demand, a PNC government shall introduce a bus terminal system with buses moving at regular intervals on 24 hourly basis. We shall as well introduce the underground train and tram systems in the cities and urban areas to further enhance timely movement of commuters.

ROADS

A PNC administration shall expand roads in cities and urban areas into six lane dual carriage roads with flyovers and interchanges at busy intersections, to ease congestion and for easy movement of vehicles. We shall create specially designated bus lanes in all cities and urban areas. There will be no open gutters in all urban centers.

Our administration shall dialyse all highways linking the various cities and towns. Along these highways PNC shall establish facilities such as police posts and communication facilities at regular intervals for speedy response to accidents and criminal activities on the highways.

The PNC administration shall ensure that all feeder roads are tarred; also, all remote villages with populations of 500 and above shall be linked to urban centers by motorable roads for rapid development and transportation of food stuffs to urban centers.

Road traffic regulations shall be strictly enforced. We shall also put in measures, in collaboration with the DVLA and the police, to ensure that only road worthy vehicles ply our roads. To ensure a longer life span of our roads, the Ghana Highway Authority and the department of feeder roads shall be equipped and resourced to carry out regular maintenance of our roads and highways.

WATER TRANSPORT

The PNC administration shall revive the BLACKSTAR LINE and equip it with a modern fleet of ships to undertake the shipping business of the nation on competitive basis.

The entire length of the Volta River, from the north to the south shall be developed for water transport to facilitate movement of goods and people between the north and the south. Mini harbors shall be established at strategic points along the river.

AIR TRANSPORT/AVIATION

A PNC administration shall revive the Ghana Airways and equip it with a modern fleet of planes to make it competitive in the air transport business. Necessary measures shall be put in place for the effective and efficient management of the Ghana Airways Company to make it a world class company.

We shall build a new international airport in Accra, upgrade the Tamale and Kumasi airport into international airports and build airports at all regions to enhance domestic and international air travel.

RAIL TRANSPORT

Our administration shall expand and develop the rail network to link the ports and harbors and the major cities and also extend the rail network to link the neighboring countries, Cote D’ivoire, Burkina Faso and Togo. This will enhance the movement of goods and people to and from these areas and improve trade between Ghana and her neighbors.

 

IX. COMMUNICATIONS

We live in an era of speedy advances in the development of Information Communication Technology (ICT). Advances in the development and application of ICT are paramount to our progress as a nation. Globally, ICT is now at the center of every human and economic activity of nations which seek rapid development. ICTs have become a major contributor to wealth and job creation. Ghana is still grappling with how to use ICT to make a meaningful impact on national development.

There is a general perception in Ghana that the telecom companies are rendering poor services to customers ranging from high cost of air calls and telephone bills to avoidable and interrupted networks across all the telecom lines in the country. Also, the National Media Commission (NMC) in recent times has complaint about the indiscriminate springing up of media houses across the country and the need to urgently regulate their activities.

The PNC is aware of the impact of ICT on national development and shall upon assuming power undertake the following development projects on a massive scale for the nation to take advantage of the great opportunities presented by ICT.

1.    Upgrade and expand public ICT training facilities to train citizens in ICT and specialized technical skills in a deliberate effort to build their capacities to support human resource development and needs.

2.    Set up new public ICT centers in all districts to improve computer literacy of citizens and bring internet and digital opportunities to as many people as possible.

3.    Improve tele density of the country in partnership with the private sector by extending telecom networks, particularly fixed lines to make communication readily accessible and affordable to the citizenry.

4.    Currently, our country is still struggling to negotiate with telecom companies to start printing 30%-40% of scratch cards locally. Our administration shall ensure that printing machines for scratch cards are made available for printing of 70%-80% of scratch cards locally in order to boost domestic employment.

5.    Provide ICT facilities with internet facilities to many public educational institutions, for all teachers, students and pupils to access information on modern trends in education to further enrich their academic knowledge.

6.      Continue and intensify the one laptop per child policy of previous governments.

7.      Modernize and Resource GTV to Extend its coverage to all parts of the country.

8.      Provide better regulation for the broadcast media through the enactment and full implementation by the National Media Commission of a Broadcasting Law to check hate speech, and other forms of improper utilisation of the broadcast media.

9.      Rehabilitate and modernize public postal facilities and extend their services to all parts of the country.

10.  Resource the NCA and give it more legal powers to monitor and regulate the activities of all telecom companies in the country and ensure that sanctions such as withdrawal of operation licenses are meted out to telecom companies whose services are poor.

11.  Extend internet connectivity to all public establishments and make e-governance an integral part of doing government business.

The PNC envisages that the impact of these measures on the socio economic development of the nation shall be tremendous. These include:

1.      Creating a population that will be well informed and alive to socio-economic and political development on the local and international scenes.

2.      Creating jobs in local communities thereby reducing unemployment and curbing rural- urban migration.

3.      Bringing the world closer to the people to enable citizens to link up with relations and friends across the country and the world over.

4.      Speed up the process of doing business as well as reduce the cost of doing business.

X. ENVIRONMENTAL SANITATION

Solving our serious problem of public garbage dumps, an invasion by empty plastic bags, appalling public toilets and urinals, open gutters that are clogged by defecation and various forms of wet filth that breed epidemics, is a challenge.

A PNC administration will introduce an educational policy in our schools and communities as well as reintroduce the community sanitation inspectors in our local communities to Monitor and collaborate with individual households to ensure discipline and positive attitudes towards maintaining a clean environment in public places and individual homes.

We will put up different kinds of bins at vantage places across the country and build more toilet facilities in our communities. We will use the three R’s of sanitation, that is Recycle, Refill, and Reuse, and as well initiate seminars to educate people on waste disposal, environmental pollution and sanitation. We will also use the media to telecast educative information on TV, radio and in print media as a strategy to instill good habits of sanitation. We will put up land fill sites and recycle our waste.

A PNC government will also research and explore ways of turning our waste into usable energy like biogas plants, build plastic, glass and paper recycling plants and institute policies to ensure that citizens will use these plants.

Our government in collaborate with the various municipal assemblies will institute award schemes for awarding the neatest communities within the assemblies. This will serve as an incentive to the inhabitants of the various communities to work at keeping their surroundings clean.

Municipal administrations shall identify suitable sites that are environmentally friendly for both current and future use as landfills for dumping community garbage. Filled locations shall be properly landscaped into parks and plantations of trees. 

FOREIGN POLICY

Ghana's foreign policy since independence has been characterized by a commitment to the principles and ideals of nonalignment and Pan-Africanism as first enunciated by Kwame Nkrumah in the early 1960s. For Nkrumah, nonalignment meant complete independence from the policies and alliances of both East and West and support for a worldwide union of so-called nonaligned nations as a counter to both East and West power blocs. Pan Africanism, by contrast, was a specifically African policy that envisioned the liberation of African peoples and political unity of the African continent.

A PNC Government will continue to advocate closer economic ties with neighboring states, and objectives of Ghana's foreign policy will include maintaining friendly relations and cooperation with all countries that desire such cooperation, irrespective of ideological considerations, on the basis of mutual respect and noninterference in each other's internal affairs. Africa and its liberation and unity will naturally be the cornerstone of Ghana's foreign policy under a PNC government.

Another important principle of Ghana's foreign policy involves the closest possible cooperation with neighboring countries with which the people of Ghana share cultural history, ties of blood, and economics. The results have included various bilateral trade and economic agreements and permanent joint commissions involving Ghana and its immediate neighbors. These measures have contributed significantly to sub regional cooperation, development, and the reduction of tension.