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Posted by AMOAKO ASIEDU ATTA KAKRA on 2006-11-23 05:59:11
ATTACKS ON THE PRESIDENT BY THE FORMER PRESIDENT The President and his Ministers since their emergence as the heard of government of this country have received attacks and insults from the former President.
The latter accuses the government any time he is given a platform to air his views. But, questions and comments keep on trickling the minds of the citizenry about the sort of posture this statesman is made of. You become His enemy any time you criticize His actions .Dr Obed Asamoah, a former National Chairman of his party had to find His way out from the NDC. He was humiliated and embarrassed at the parties congress ground. The accusations and insults on President Kufour by the former President started six months after the Presidents inauguration. This was after an act of Parliament had abolished the celebration of June 4 as a National holiday. The Ex-President and his allies organized a forum on June 4 2001, at the Arts centre to celebrate the coup he continues to boast of. It was at the said function that the infamous ‘Boom’ speech was made. He accused this government of being corrupt, putting His ex-ministers before court and that it amounted to witch hunting etc. We the future leaders of this country believe that this country has a heritage which should be respected. The issuance of coup and threats by the former President does not portray the good image of the country. Perhaps He has forgotten that he is an ambassador of this Nation, which warrants circumspection, tactfulness and use of refined language. Without his ascension to the seat of government who would have invited Him to any of these International Fora to speak and make uncomplimentary remarks about this country. This is why I am saddened by the unacceptable remarks He made against the sitting President when He was giving the opportunity to deliver a speech to students at the South Bank College. Instead of Him cataloging the positive opportunities investors can derive by associating themselves with the country, what the latter did was to drive them away by making His coup pronouncement. I am extremely happy about the statement made by the Ghana Armed Forces asking Mr. Rawlings to decouple the GAF from His political utterances. “The High Command of the Armed Forces respects him (ex-president) as its former command-in-chief and would therefore expect his comments about the military to be circumspect by urging the military to continue to do the good work it has been doing rather than subjecting it to public ridicule, contempt and embarrassment” the statement said. Indeed the Minority (NDC) members of parliament are joking when it was reported on joy headlines news on Saturday 4th November 2006, that they were calling for the resignation of the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Hon Kwamena Bartels. Two main reasons were given to support their action That the Minister has misinformed the public by saying Mr. Rawlings said in Britain He was planning to overthrow this government. As to whether the claim that the Hon. Minister keeps on lying to the citizenry since the emergence of the New Patriotic Party as the head of government in this country is true on false, it for all Ghanaians to judge. We all as Ghanaians need to examine carefully whether, indeed the Hon Minister lied. He was of course reporting what the ex-president said when He met the students at the South Bank College and the series of unguarded statements made by Him. It behooves on the Minority group to advice their founder to stop making the coup pronouncement to keep His image from criticism. This country has come over age and these coup statements should be things of the past. We the citizenry enjoy total peace under this government as compared to the NDC days. Good governance being practice by this government enabled the country to access the Millennium Challenge Account Instituted by the American Government to the tune of $547 Million out of the total $2billion to be access by the 16 countries chosen by the latter. For the information of readers, the country got the lion’s share of the fund. I would advice the Hon Minister of Information and National Orientation to concentrate on his good works of Disseminating government’s programme and policies to the nation and leave the Minority (NDC) group whose aim is just to criticize any positive step taking by this government. AMOAKO ASIEDU ATTA KAKRA FORMER STUDENT LEADER |
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Posted by ojetunbi lawrence on 2006-11-18 13:25:41
I urge mr kofi anan to participate in the coming election in ghana,for it is the wish of the majority of ghanaian.For ghana to be internationally recognised. |
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Posted by Asebu Amenfi on 2006-11-15 10:02:53
It has emerged that Dr.Sadick Arthur, the embattled Senior Pastor of the Springfield branch of the International Central Gospel Church (ICGC), in Virginia, U.S.A, on Sunday October 29, squeezed his body through a small window and fled from the wrath of the Board of Directors who had locked him up to demand accountability of his management of the church's funds.
His action shocked the Board of Directors as they watched the 'Man of God' meander his way and landed on the well-carpeted worship grounds and to the unsuspecting congregation.
Pastor Sadick later ate humble pie; apologizing to the congregation for using the pulpit to bash his critics the previous Sunday in his 'Boom Speech'. He had incurred the wrath of his congregation for calling them 'fornicators’,’ adulterers' and 'non-entities' following an earlier resolution signed by the Board restricting him from tinkering with the funds of the church for his personal use.
That sermon generated angry reactions and saw the church's Sunday offering dwindling by more than 80% on subsequent Sundays and dealing a devastating blow to the image of ICGC.
The church is literary down on its kneels now as members continue to desert the church daily due to the Senior Pastor's belligerence, arrogance and abuse of the church's funds for his personal benefit. Investigations continue.
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Posted by S. Kwaku Asare on 2006-11-15 07:58:38
Professor S. Kwaku Asare, New Achimota
Can the Political doctrine Question Save MP Amoateng
Exactly a year ago, Eric Amoateng, MP for Nkoranza North, was arrested and detained in USA on narcotic charges. Since then that constituency has not been represented in Parliament, in clear violation of the constitutional command that “each constituency shall be represented by one MP” (article 47(1)). Not too surprisingly, Parliament short-changed the people of Ghana when in February 2006, the legislative body attempted to sanction Amoateng’s continued, indefinite, and unauthorized absence from Parliament.
Parliament’s action was not surprising since it is a political body that often decides based on political considerations. A similar political maneuver was executed in 1959 when Dr. K. A. Busia, then a minority MP, was ousted from Parliament when he missed the then statutory number of sittings. Busia, who was on a three-month lecture tour of Europe, had been denied permission to be absent from Parliament. No reason was assigned for the denial of his leave of absence.
It was to avoid such political calculus that Article 99 (1) (a) of the current constitution provides that “the High Court shall have jurisdiction to hear and determine any question whether a person has been validly elected as a member of Parliament or the seat of a member has become vacant.” The rational behind the reservation of this power to the judiciary is to avoid politicizing the “vacation decision,” which will oppress the minority (as in the Busia case) or the constituents (as in the current Amoateng case). Notice that Article 99 (1)(a) requires the court to hear and determine not to defer to Parliament or any other authority.
To undo Parliament’s political decision, I petitioned the high court to declare the seat vacant under its powers under article 99(1). In that suit, I contended that the seat had become vacant by operation of law; that the handling of a private criminal dispute is not a reasonable explanation to be absent from parliament; that an explanation is per se unreasonable if its acceptance will result in an indefinite absence from a parliament; that parliament is without authority to grant an indefinite leave of absence to an elected MP thereby negating the constituents’ vote; that the speaker’s permission to the MP had lapsed and hence there was never a concurrence of permission and explanation as required by the constitution; and that the constituents’ right to representation was paramount (see Stephen Asare v. Attorney General et al. AP 21/2006 HC Available at http://www.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/NewsArchive/artikel.php?ID=110647
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The court refused to declare the seat vacant on grounds that the “the political question doctrine applies.” The court’s decision is erroneous and must be reversed for 4 reasons: (1) Political doctrine is not a talisman; (2) Political doctrine has dubious grounding in the 1992 constitution; (3) Political doctrine is based on a dubious precedent; (4) Political doctrine has fallen on bad times even in its own original home.
It is useful to start with an explanation of the so called Political Question doctrine. According to the political question doctrine courts should abstain from resolving constitutional issues that are better left to other political branches of government. It is a USA Supreme Court made doctrine that has no universal application. The USA Supreme Court defined the contours of the doctrine in Baker v. Carr, 369 U.S. 186, 217 (1962) as follows: “Prominent on the surface of any case held to involve a political question is found a textually demonstrable constitutional commitment of the issue to a coordinate political department; or a lack of judicially discoverable and manageable standards for resolving it; or the impossibility of deciding without an initial policy determination of a kind clearly for nonjudicial discretion; or the impossibility of a court's undertaking independent resolution without expressing lack of the respect due coordinate branches of government; or an unusual need for unquestioning adherence to a political decision already made; or the potentiality of embarrassment from multifarious pronouncements by various departments on one question.”
Political Doctrine is Not a Talisman
In the Amoateng case, Judge Ayebi invoked the political doctrine question as if it was a talisman whose invocation settles the issues. But the doctrine is not a talisman and it is up to a judge to explain why that doctrine should control. Unfortunately, Judge Ayebi’s opinion does not explain the rational behind allowing the “political question doctrine” to swallow its explicit powers under article 99(1)(a). Nor does the court attempt to distill the values behind the conferral of jurisdiction to the court (i.e., the Busia problem). Further, the court does not take into account the right to vote. The right to vote means more than casting a vote on election-day. Rather, it embraces pre-ballot rights, such as the right to register, and post-ballot rights, such as the right for the vote to be counted and to count (e.g., by being represented). Needless to say, that right does not extend to being represented effectively but it requires attendance. Non-attendance negates the right and comes with the stiff penalty in article 97 (1) (c) “A member of Parliament shall vacate his seat in Parliament if he is absent, without the permission in writing of the Speaker and he is unable to offer a reasonable explanation to the Parliamentary Committee on Privileges from fifteen sittings of a meeting of Parliament during any period that Parliament has been summoned to meet and continues to meet.”
Judge Ayebi acknowledged the three prong test adopted by Justice Kpegah in Ghana Bar Association v. Attorney-General et al. SC GLR 250 (2003-2004) (Justice Abban’s case): [Justice Kpegah adopted the test from the concurring opinion of Justice Powell in Goldwater v. Carter 444 US 996.]
(a) Does the issue involve resolution of questions committed by the text of the Constitution to a co-ordinate branch of government?
(b) Would the resolution of the question demand that a court moves beyond areas of judicial expertise?
(c) Do prudential considerations counsel against judicial intervention?
Nevertheless beyond the conclusory opinion that the political doctrine applies, the court did not apply the test to the facts of the case. In light of the court’s Article 99 (1) (a) jurisdiction, it cannot be seriously argued that the issue of whether a seat has become vacant is committed to parliament. The court’s exclusive focus on Article 97 (1) (c) is mechanistic and fails to take into account the obvious rational of article 99 (1) (a) and the Busia problem. Certainly, determining whether an indefinite absence from a legislative body where a person has been chosen to represent constituents for a definite period is hardly requires the court to move beyond the judicial expertise. Plainly, prudential considerations will command judicial intervention when voters’ right for their votes to count is being trampled upon.
Thus, assuming that the test laid down by Justice Kpegah is apt, Judge Ayebi does not show that the test is met by the facts of Amoateng case. Hence, the political doctrine question cannot settle the dispute as to whether Amoateng has vacated his seat. But it gets worse because the political question doctrine has dubious constitutional and precedential grounding
The Political Doctrine has Dubious Constitutional and Precedential Grounding
There is considerable dispute as to the applicability of the political question doctrine to the 1992 constitution. Both judge Ayebi and Justice Kpegah improperly rely on the Amoako-Tuffuor case (Amoako-Tuffuor v. Attorney-General GLR 63, SC (1980) as authority for the political doctrine question. But the political doctrine question was not at issue in Amoako-Tuffuor, nor was the holding in Tuffuor an endorsement of or even a clarification of the doctrine. Rather, the holding in Amoako-Tuffuor was a narrow one and to the effect that upon coming into force of the 1979 constitution, Justice Apaloo was constitutionally in office and hence his removal could be effected only in accordance with procedures stipulated by that constitution. Significantly, the Amoako-Tuffuor holding had the effect of undoing the parliamentary vetting and rejection of Justice Apaloo as Chief Justice. The continued and improper reliance on Amoako-Tuffuor then stems from dicta in Amoako-Tuffuor discussing the extent to which the courts can question decisions done in and by the 1979 Parliament.
In the December 31st case, the doctrine was explicitly raised and rejected by the Supreme Court as inapplicable to the 1992 constitution (rejecting the argument that the question of whether December 31 is a public holiday was a political question not properly determined by the Supreme Court and holding that “. . . courts and tribunals much lower in hierarchy than the Supreme Court may lawfully decide cases which may involve political questions”). (see NPP v. Attorney-General 2 GLR 35 at 65 (1993-94).
The political question doctrine was invoked and rejected again in J. H. Mensah v. Attorney-General (see SCGLR 320, 364-69 (1996-97). In Mensah, the Attorney-General argued that the political doctrine question should bar the court from reviewing the process by which parliament exercises its sovereign power. The issue was whether holdover ministers from the prior parliament should be subject to another round of vetting in the new parliament. Writing for a unanimous court, Justice Acquah reviewed the contours of the doctrine as it applied in USA and noted that its application is “quite variable.”
Importantly, Justice Acquah distinguished the power of judicial review of the USA and the Ghana Supreme Courts. The former was derived from case law; hence the USA Supreme Court could devise doctrines to circumscribe its use. The latter was invested in the Ghana’s Supreme Court and can be circumscribed only by specific language in the constitution. “Accordingly, the political doctrine question cannot forbid the Supreme Court from determining the authenticity of an allegation that Parliament’s conduct is inconsistent with a provision of the constitution. “Indeed no judicial self-restraint doctrine can sufficiently assist the Ghana Supreme Court to refrain from deciding cases involving the constitutionality or otherwise of a law or action or omission of any authority.”
The concurring opinion of Justice Aikins was even more emphatic in holding that to allow the political doctrine question to bar the Court from reviewing an alleged unconstitutional act of Parliament “will be subverting the Constitution and the rule of law.” Justice Kpegah, therefore, appears to be alone in his views on the applicability of the political question doctrine. For instance, Justice Hayfron-Benjamin declined the invitation to apply the doctrine (“I do not think it is necessary for me in this opinion to discuss the principle of the non-justiciable political question”). Similarly, Justice Wiredu opined that the “the constitution has done away with either executive or parliamentary sovereignty.”
While Justice Kpegah held that the doctrine applied to the 4th Republic constitution, the Abban case was decided on the nature of the plaintiff’s claim which sought to remove Justice Abban from the bench without following the constitutional procedures for removing a judge from the bench.
This insistence on applying the political doctrine question to the 4th republican constitution ignores Justice Kpegah’s caution “against the adoption of the unexpurgated jurisprudence of other countries; a legal philosophy which may be based solely on their peculiar experiences.” (see Republic v Independent Media Corp SCGLR 258 at 269[1996-97]).
A similar caution was given by Justice Archer in the Sallah case: “Constitutio est exercitus judicum tutissimus ductor (the constitution is the safest leader of the army of judges – not esoteric legal philosophies” (see Sallah v. Attorney General 2 G&G 493 at 498 [1970]).
The Doctrine Has Fallen on Bad Times even in USA
In the USA, the doctrine has come under serious and sustained attack. Critics of the doctrine argue that the doctrine should play no role in the exercise of judicial review power; that the doctrine confuses deference with abdication; that the doctrine is confusing and unsatisfactory; and that the criteria specified in Baker are “useless” in identifying what constitutes a political question.
Conclusion
The constitution demands that a court should hear and determine issues as to whether a parliamentary seat has become vacant. The court cannot abdicate this responsibility by invoking doctrines of dubious application. Hear and determine means the court must independently inquire into the reasons for the absence, the expected length o the absence, whether permission was given, how long such permission was given, whether the permission lapsed, etc
Judge Ayebi’s invocation of the political doctrine question is legal error that must be set aside by the appeal court. It is up to the court of appeals to hear the appeal immediately for the sake of constitution and common sense!
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Posted by Lloyd Amoah on 2006-11-15 07:01:15
Dear Editor,
my attention has been drawn to an article by Dr. Okoampa-Ahoofe,Jr, titled '' Dr. Danquah was more than a genius'' refering rather disingenuously to an article I wrote titled '' China,Madarin, JB Danquah and Ghana's Future'' which was published in the Statesman, a paper I respect deeply. I stand by my reasoned and well considered view that Mr. Okoampa-Ahoofe is misinterpreting the central thrust of the analysis I sought to do and utilizing such warped reasoning to misinform the good people of Ghana.
In the interest of fairness I wish to exercise my right to have my response to his jaded view also published in the Statesman to avoid any doubts his malodorous reasoning might cause especially to my reputation as a balanced,fair, unprejudiced writer on pressing Ghanaian and international affairs in the last 10years. Something I have taken to first as a patriot and secondly as a thinker and without any blind,fanatic partisanship or hero-worshipping.
I hope my humble but urgent entreaty will be responded to and timeously!
Warmest regards
Lloyd Amoah |
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Posted by Leopold Attignon on 2006-11-14 11:56:33
THE KEY TO GHANA’S DEVELOPMENT
The role of the Polytechnic
The prime aim of higher educational institutions in the country is to train competent hands to handle the country’s human and natural resources towards an accelerated growth development of the national economy and indeed one can not, but mention the Polytechnic as the first point of contact.
Over the years, higher institutions of learning have not been very successful in this respect due to several factors. In spite of the challenges of institutional and capacity constraints the Polytechnics have continually produced graduates with acceptable skills to handle the ever growing manpower needs of the country.
Polytechnics in Ghana provide higher vocational education in a multifield environment and students who successfully complete the three-year intensive programme are awarded a diploma for their efforts. The objective of the study leading to a Polytechnic Higher National Diploma is to provide the necessary knowledge and skills for operating occupational expert functions on the basis of the requirements set by the working life as well as the current rate of development in the country.
Unlike the Universities who are most perceived to training intellectuals, Polytechnic graduates are taught to use their minds and hands and also professionalism to acquire a lot of practical training while in school. The Polytechnics also offer an interesting variety of practical courses that gives its graduates the necessary foundation for further professional education and training.
Polytechnics further provide a significant link with industry and commerce enabling its students to be more equipped for the world outside school even before graduation. Ghana needs a lot more of Polytechnic graduates for the economy to be a better one. With craftsmen and artisans being the bedrock of society and with Polytechnic producing the majority of these and others, it can proudly be said that Polytechnic education indeed is the window of hope for Ghana.
Today, if one should undertake a survey in various developments of industry, commerce and other sectors of the economy, you will indeed find Polytechnic graduates and their immense contribution to national growth or development. But however, one factor still remains, with regards to the challenges facing Polytechnic graduates and the institution as a whole.
Ever since Polytechnics were roped into the tertiary “brackets” in 1994, the academic staff and students have continued to suffer the fate of being discriminated against under successive Governments. Among these challenges include inadequate remuneration, poor condition of service of both academic and working staff, lack of clarity of focus and mission- this has to do with contradicting the vision of Polytechnics as that of the Universities, meant to provide academic training with Polytechnics training highly skilled and competent manpower with practical and entrepreneurial skills in partnership.
Further, inadequate facilities, crisis of identity-pertaining to graduates placement on the job market, academic progression and I believe weak leadership, higher education policy and the fear of “aluta” prone students over the decades have conspired to rob us of good educational policy as a nation today.
It saddens the heart to note that some individuals including stakeholders have not made any frantic efforts to rectify this political xenophobia unleashed on the polytechnic fraternity. The longer this prejudice hangs over our economic education, the slower the pace of our economic development. It is high time people in authority know that, the problems or challenges facing the polytechnics are not for us students or our lecturers, but a problem for the nation and us all as Ghanaians, hence the need to rethink about the negative perceptions about polytechnics and her products.
As Michael Angelo once said “Every generation must of relative obscurity discover its mission and either fulfill it or betray it”. It is also sad that in the quest of pursuing your rights, polytechnic students are perceived as protagonist.
Polytechnics are technologically oriented tertiary institutions which are capable of meeting the manpower requirements of this country, and this can only be achieved if stakeholders such as National Council for Tertiary Education (NCTE), National Accreditation Board (NAB), Conference of Polytechnic Principals (COPP), Polytechnic Councils, Organizations and Industries, Students, the Society, Student Leaders and the Government play their respective roles than politicizing.
We as a country must change from our “craze” for academic certificates especially degrees and advocate for higher performance at the peak level. The conservative nature of some of our academicians who have sworn that, in so far as they live in this country, there will be no such as equivalence of the HND to the Degree. The time has come for them to think primarily as Ghanaians to seek what is best for mother Ghana. The disrespect and continuous pinning holders of HND down to lower grade position must be discontinued and eschewed if we have to move our industries and country forward. Let us not wait for the worse things to occur before we do the right things.
Long live Ghana, Long live Polytechnic Education.
Leopold Attignon
Nat. Press & Information Officer
(Ghana National Union of Polytechnic Students)
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Posted by lloyd Amoah on 2006-11-13 08:23:49
To Dr. Okoa Ahoofe-Ahoofe, Jr.
HOT AIR BLOWING,PATHETIC AND PREDICTABLE! HAHAHAHAAHAHA! You are so OLD SCHOOL you make me want to puke! Go update your old data and information! The new era has passed your by! My mother who holds only an 'o'level is SMARTER than you! No doubt she has no RESPECT for academics like you whose brains are stuck in a Rip Van Winkle stupor. AWURADE, Ghana is in trouble! In perpetuity stay! You are good riddance!
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Posted by Kwame Okoampa-Ahoofe, Jr. on 2006-11-13 03:01:36
My Last Comment In-Perpetuity To Mr. Amoah:
By all means, get somebody to edit your writings before posting them. They are too fraught with run-on sentences to make for enjoyable reading, besides your pedestrian neo-commie rehashing of Nkrumaist propaganda.
Fare thee well, young man! |
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Posted by Kwame Okoampa-Ahoofe, Jr. on 2006-11-13 02:43:16
Jaded Dissertation:
Mr. "Lloyd" Amoah,
It is quite obvious that you are just sophomorically rehashing your prematurely jaded dissertation here.
The stolid notion that, somehow, Ghanaians had to be inspired by America's Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) in order to recognize the harsh immorality of a Neo-Nazi dictatorship, constituties the height of intellectual folly. And one must, here, seriously doubt if there is, indeed, any intellectual creativity behind such historiographically myopic thinking. |
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Posted by Kwame Okoampa-Ahoofe on 2006-11-13 02:37:49
Mr. Your Neo-Communist Guff Has No Bearing On The Realities Of Twenty-First Century Politics! So wake up, lazy boy! |
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Posted by Lloyd Amoah on 2006-11-13 01:30:50
GHANA-CHINA RELATIONS: ELEVATING THE FRIENDSHIP IN 21st CENTURY
By: LLOYD GEORGE ADU AMOAH, Ph.d Candidate, Wuhan University, Hubei, China.
lloydamoah@gmail.com
The return of China ……to global economic prominence in the twenty-first century is likely to reshape global politics and society- Jeffrey Sachs, The End of Poverty
In less than four hundred days our nation will mark her golden jubilee as a sovereign, independent member of the comity of nations. A sober, searching reflection on the last fifty years of our nationhood and national life is imperative if for nothing to prepare Ghana for the tasks and challenges ahead as the new century unfurls. In a world that is increasingly inter-linked before the all powerful gale of globalization, the fate of nations has now more than ever before become a function of their relations with entities in the international system. A nation’s relations with the world impacts on its GDP, per capita income, technological progress, the health of her citizens and even the extent of her cultural vitality and sophistication among others. It within this framework that Ghana’s foreign policy establishment must map out a strategic, visionary and self interested master plan for international relations in the coming decades. It is my view that China must lie at the nexus of such a strategic foreign policy manoeuvre.
The facts on China’s emergence in the last two decades as a geo-socioeconomic and political heavy weight are awesome and compellingly so. China has posted an average GDP growth of 9% in the last two decades. In deed in the 2005 fiscal year she maintained this achievement with a growth rate of 9.4%. Again last year China overtook arguably the most robust and advanced economy, the U.S. as the largest consumer of key commodities like meat, steel, coal, etc. The implication is that the Chinese economy has become a hyperactive one. It is in acknowledging this that Lester Brown ( Director of Earth Policy Institute which released these findings just cited) stated that ‘‘ China is no longer just a developing country ……it is an emerging economic superpower, one that is writing economic history.’’
China has become the factory of the world and is churning out commodities as rudimentary as tooth picks right through to the most sophisticated hi-tech products. Multi-million global corporate icons are relocating to China. In all probability, the cell phone in your pocket will have key components made in China and the very shirt on your back might have a ‘‘made in China’’ label be it Next or Pierre Cardin!
A particularly significant aspect of this mass migration of global blue chip companies to the Middle Kingdom( China’s name in antiquity) is the relocation of their R&D departments to China as part of this shift. Microsoft, Bell, Intel, Ericsson( this largest maker of cell phones is investing $1billion in R&D in China) are among such companies with major R&D operations in China. It is not difficult to predict as a corollary of this reality the rise of China as a major global R&D power in the 21st century placing her at the hub of global knowledge based society.
On July 5 2006, Ghana – China relations will be two score and six years. Ghana was just three years old, a toddling nation when the friendship with China was struck. China then was also a fresh modern nation( depite a 5000year history China was reborn as a Republic in 1949); just an eleven year-old teenager nation. It is instructive to note that just four days after proclaiming her Republican status, the true mark of independence and sovereignty, Ghana extended a hand of friendship to China. The strategic imperatives and importance of China was clearly recognized by the Nkrumah Administration. The relations flourished under Dr. Kwame Nkrumah who visited China twice in 1961 and 1966 after Premier Zhou En Lai’s visit to Ghana in 1964. The famous picture of President Nkrumah playing a game of table tennis with Premier Chou En Lai at the Castle symbolized the depth of friendship between the
two nations who after suffering centuries of colonial and foreign occupation were determined to make signal progress. In the intervening years after the CIA inspired overthrow of Dr. Kwame Nkrumah in 1966 to the turn of the century Ghana’s relations with China has been marked by what one will consider insouciance, ambiguity and even fear. Fear because no developing nation wanted to be labeled ‘‘Red’’ or ‘‘Commy’’, for cozying up to China by the powers that be. Insouciant and ambiguous on account of no clear perceived advantage in cultivating China aggressively. Ghana’s diplomacy since independence has been conditioned and constrained by a particularly weighty Northern Hemisphere pull which has been reflected perennially in Ghana’s relations with other regions of the world including Asia. But within this bind there has existed some room for diplomatic manoeuvre even in the ideologically rigid Cold War/ East-West era. It is instructive that as the Deputy-Foreign Minister in the Prof. K.A. Busia Administration the current President J.A. Kufuor cast a historic vote in 1971 that undercut Taiwan’s pretentious claim to sovereignty and re-admitted China to its legitimate, permanent seat on the U.N. Security Council. If these two ideologically opposed administrations saw the strategic importance of China over thirty years ago, then it stands to reason that in the face of the facts and the changed international context Ghana must elevate her relations with that country for Ghana’s development interests in particular and the mutual benefit of both nations in general.
Recognizing the importance of Africa’s friendship the Chinese Government convened the Forum on China-Africa Co-operation(FOCAC) Ministerial Meeting at the turn of this century in Beijing from the 10-12 of October,2000. Out of this gathering emerged the Beijing Declaration which spelt out a comprehensive framework for China-Africa relations in the 21st century. The FOCAC has since been institutionalized and is marked by regular Ambassadorial meetings, Ministerial meetings every three years, and Senior Officials Meetings(SOM) every two years; the last two of which are alternately held in Africa and Beijing. The last SOM was held in August 2005 in Beijing out of which emerged a consensus to elevate the next Ministerial Meeting into what the minutes of the that meeting called the ‘‘FOCAC Beijing Summit’’ which is expected to be convened in November 2006(at the time of writing) . It must be noted that it is these FOCAC meetings which spawned the Addis-Ababa Action Plan 2004-2006 in 2003 which elaborated wide ranging co-operative ventures between Africa and China encapsulating geo-political, socio-economic, trade, security, technological and other issues of mutual concern to the two sides. China has followed up all these with the release of the China African Policy(CAP) document in January 2006. The preamble of this document states that ‘‘ China-Africa traditional relations face fresh opportunities(my emphasis) under the new circumstances’’ of globalisation and the realities of the international system. China states forcefully that it will ‘‘ establish and develop a new type of strategic partnership(my emphasis) with Africa which features political equality and mutual trust, economic win-win co-operation and cultural exchange.’’ It is clear that since the new century began China has been courting Africa conscious of her importance to her. Ghana must seize this historical opportunity or eternally rue it.
The FOCAC Framework serves as a broad rubric for China’s dealings with Africa. But one is of the view that Ghana must define her own strategic objectives within this praxis and aggressively pursue her interests. Some African countries have taken the gauntlet and are actively deepening their relations with China on the bilateral level.
As a first step Ghana must draw up a comprehensive Asia Policy Document with China at the fulcrum for the next twenty-five years. This should mark a strategic re-orientation of Ghana’s foreign policy towards Asia in pursuit of her socio-economic interests first and foremost. The necessity for this is best captured by Jeffrey Sachs: ‘‘The overwhelming dominance of the West, which lasted half a millennium is probably passé.’’ Ghana needs a coherent, clearly defined, long-term response to events in Asia to which even the West our traditional foreign policy focus is heeding .
China stands ready to support Africa in areas such as culture, health, education and hi-tech. In education for example China has stated that it is ready to support 10,000 students from Africa in the coming years and has set-up an African Human Resources Fund for this. The policy framework must define benchmarks and outcomes for utilizing such opportunities. The tourism sector beckons. Ghana has still not acquired the Approved Destination Status(ADS)(at the time of writing) without which Chinese citizens cannot visit in any organized groups as tourists. Countries like Zambia, Zimbabwe, Tanzania, Kenya and Ethiopia have already acquired the ADS. China’s trade with Ghana has still not exceeded the $1billion mark. Ghana can meet China’s hunger in contemporary times for studying English. Ghana must map out as a matter of strategy a program for making her youth proficient in Mandarin, a competitive edge in a world increasingly influenced by China. China has become the world’s Silicon Valley. China has acquired the confidence, the capacity and the will to even probe the outer reaches of the universe by sending humanity into space; only the third nation on earth. Can Ghana tap this knowledge?
These are the issues our nation must confront. Ghana will be fifty next year. Still youthful, she will enter the future with confidence if she heeds the ancient refrain: ‘‘ Young man(woman), go East.’’
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Posted by Lloyd Amoah on 2006-11-13 01:13:24
HOTAIR! SO PREDICTABLE! HAHAHAHAHAHA! |
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Posted by Kwame Okoampa-Ahoofe, Jr. on 2006-11-12 08:35:58
The Devil Hoists With His Own Petard!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Mr. "Lloyd" Amoah, by all means, my brotherly advice to you is that next time don't bite more than you can chew, else you might choke yourself to death.
I am glad that you realize, shame-facedly, now that your devious attempt to devalue Dr. J. B. Danquah has come to naught!
I don't know what intellectual level of Ghanaians you presume to write for; but I can vouch for one thing: educated Ghanaians are among the most sophisticated of global readers. So you may do yourself, and the rest of us, a lot of good by running your pathological paralogia by a few friends before recklessly proceeding to post them.
Indeed, had I remembered you were the same writer who presumed to denigrate Dr. Danquah on the website of the Daily Mail, I wouldn't have bothered to respond to your article.
Why is that? Because you have yet to peak intellectually; you haven't quite gotten there yet, though with great humility and time you might. I am not quite sure of the latter, though....
And, by the way, did you brush your teeth before resorting to the bad-mouthing of your intellectual and moral superiors?
Kwame Okoampa-Ahoofe, Jr., Ph.D., Garden City, New York. |
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Posted by Lloyd Amoah on 2006-11-11 02:59:42
I am saddened reading your latest missive by the wacky claims you make! Imputing motives I have not even remotely suggested!Now I am ideologue in your mind! The next time I will be the devil or Osama Bin Laden. How laughable! Your thinking gives me the CREEPS,really!
Caught in your own righteousness regarding your positions you proceed to set up a strawman regarding my analysis and then bayonet same gratuitously! Its pathetic and completely unconscionable for an academic of your standing to engage in such puerile deviousness.
This is the last time I will response to your comments on my writing if they fail to be INTELLECTUALLY HONEST! THAT WILL BE A WASTE OF EFFORT WHICH I DO NOT WISH TO ENGAGE IN! |
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Posted by Kate Walton on 2006-11-10 19:03:19
Article on Bush's defeat was right on and a pleasure to read. |
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Posted by Kwame Okoampa-Ahoofe, Jr. on 2006-11-10 14:28:44
Thus Speaks The Philistine!!!
Lloyd Amoah's purported rejoinder to my article firms up my point; the writer is smugly intransigent in his purveying of half-truths and outright lies about the Doyen of Gold Coast and Ghanaian politics. And what is even more curiously intriguing, Mr. Amoah would have his readers acknowledge that his grossly distorted and patently unacademic view of Dr. J. B. Danquah constitutes a definitive statement on modern Ghanaian political history. Well, Mr. Amoah is democratically entitled to his own gratuitously skewed opinions!
On the China question, perhaps, the writer may be best advised to go back and re-read exactly what he wrote; but no one ought to expect a writer who claims Dr. Danquah's scholastic attempt to link modern Ghana to China, culturally, to have post-dated President Nkrumah's arrival on the Ghanaian political scene would be humble enough to do just that.
Indeed, what is laughable is Mr. Amoah's condescending posturing and ideological herd mentality. Thus his suggestion that the apparently mad rush of other countries to Beijing constitutes an alchemical Eureka in which race Ghana's destiny precariously hangs in the balance, is only to be expected.
We should all commend him for his Sinological academic acumen; unfortunately for the writer, we live in the salutarily democratic, post-Nkrumah era where policies are shaped by rational and deliberate discourse, rather than ideological dictation.
Mr. Amoah, thanks for reminding me of having "crossed literary swords" with me awhile back; I had almost totally forgotten about it, being that your attempt at comparative devaluation of Dr. Danquah, vis-a-vis President Nkrumah, was totally inconsequential.
Regards,
Kwame Okoampa-Ahoofe, Jr., Garden City, New York. |
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Posted by Lloyd Amoah on 2006-11-10 05:02:30
A Response to Dr. Okoampa-Ahoofe,Jr.
First and foremost I must state that if my article elicited responses as it has it has served the purpose for which I penned it: trigerring discourse about the issues I presented. In that vein I thank Dr. Okoampa-Ahoofe,Jr for his comments.
But I must make it clear that my view on Dr. Danquah and Dr. Kwame Nkrumah is pellucid; a matter over which I crossed literary swords with Dr. Okoampa-Ahoofe,Jr some months back. For me that matter has been laid to rest and I do not and will not rake up a matter I consider to my cerebral processes over with.
To the substantive matters raised by Dr. Okoampa-Ahoofe,Jr on my article. Firstly the good Doctor states that ''it must be made clear the fact that Dr. Danquah's salutary and culturally organic ideology of Ghana being a "property-owning democracy," did not, in any way, preclude the constructive engagement of the two peoples in mutually beneficial enterprises. Thus the implicit suggestion that the contemporary claimants of Dr. Danquah's ideological mantle, the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP), may be hermetically pro-West, is rather gratuitous.'' No where in my article in spirit or letter is the suggestion made and gratuitously that NPP is as he put it ''hermetically pro-West.'' What I sought to put across was a rather catholic overview of our foreign policy as it interfaces with national policy and to urge a firm, strategic, self-interest conditioned engagment with those advancing polities of our contemporary times of which China stands at the head!
Again Dr. Okoampa-Ahoofe,Jr., states ''Indeed, if the Ghanaian government is not rushing to engage China in trade and commerce, it is largely because, from the thrust of Mr. Amoah's own article, the Chinese government does not appear to envisage Ghana as a significant trading partner, perhaps largely because Ghana, unlike Nigeria and Angola, does not produce oil in commercial quantities.'' Here again my compatriot misreads the thrust of my analysis. In any case the point I was trying to make is that international relations is a Janus-faced process, a veritable two way street. However strategic concerns dictate that sometimes a country must make the move to get the belle(China)and urgently so given the interest being shown by others. The history of development underscores this view. Singapore's phenomenal economic growth and social development is a case in point. She literally went seeking for those trade and commercial links that have transformed that tiny country into a global player!
On the point of my failing to appreciate the complex reality of Ghana's relations with China my position is that there is nothing really complex to muse about.The simple, straightforward reality is that a circumstanced country like ours must leverage her external contacts based on current global economic and development trends to her advantage. Ghana cannot simply be over the moon because of some''significant'' projects being undertaken by China in our country! The possibilities are legion! Of course it is logically fallacious for any one to assume that because most nations are engaging China Ghana should do the same. But there has to be some compelling reason why advanced and developing countries are beating a line to China.The statistics speak volumes, the trends are clear on the position of China today and tomorrow. My research and experience of China today compels my intellectual and patriot instincts to urge my nation which I wish to RISE AND STAND to court China. The good doctor may urge Ghana not to actively court China. A view point that will be laughable and completely philistine. I rest my case.
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Posted by Kwame Okoampa-Ahoofe, Jr. on 2006-11-09 15:00:18
Dr. Danquah Was More Than a Genius Man of Letters!!!!!!!!!!!!!????????????
Lloyd Amoah's article is quite insightful. One significant observation, however, must be hastily but meticulously made; and it is the fact that Dr. J. B. Danquah was more than Ghana's foremost thinker and "man-of-letters" in the twentieth century.
To be certain, Dr. Danquah actively engaged himself in politics much longer than ex-President Kwame Nkrumah and, needless to say, Dr. Danquah mentored President Nkrumah in the practical politics of the erstwhile Gold Coast, which is why Dr. Danquah has also been called the "Father of Gold Coast and Ghanaian Nationalism."
Indeed, it was not for nothing that the Watson Commission, in 1948, "knighted" Dr. Danquah as "The Doyen [or Dean] of Gold Coast Politics." A mere thinker or man of letters would not be deemed to be deserving of such an honorific.
In sum, reducing Dr. Danquah to the narrow status of a reclusive literary artist, albeit a "thinking" one, devalues the unbested genius of the man vis-a-vis postcolonial Ghanaian history.
The thrust of Lloyd Amoah's missive, nonetheless, is well taken. Indeed this writer, who has already published a political study on our subject, titled "Dr. J. B. Danquah: Architect of Modern Ghana" (iUniverse.com, 2005), is quite familiar with the Doyen's "intuitive" foray into comparative linguistics and anthropology between the Akan-speaking people of Ghana and the great people of China.
But what is even more significant is the fact that Dr. Danquah's comparative studies on Ghana and China did not begin with the 1962 lecture that Mr. Amoah recalls the Doyen presenting. It predates the advent of the socialist-inclined future Prime Minister Nkrumah.
Then also must be made clear the fact that Dr. Danquah's salutary and culturally organic ideology of Ghana being a "property-owning democracy," did not, in any way, preclude the constructive engagement of the two peoples in mutually beneficial enterprises. Thus the implicit suggestion that the contemporary claimants of Dr. Danquah's ideological mantle, the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP), may be hermetically pro-West, is rather gratuitous.
Indeed, if the Ghanaian government is not rushing to engage China in trade and commerce, it is largely because, from the thrust of Mr. Amoah's own article, the Chinese government does not appear to envisage Ghana as a significant trading partner, perhaps largely because Ghana, unlike Nigeria and Angola, does not produce oil in commercial quantities.
But, of course, the reality is much, much more complex than Mr. Amoah appears to appreciate; for it is an open-secret that the Chinese government is engaged in quite a significant number of development projects in Ghana, including the contruction of a modern barracks for the Ghana Police Service.
In the final analysis, the sort of "herd-mentality" approach to China that Mr. Amoah appears to be advocating for Ghana may not necessarily be the best option. In short, just because a remarkable number of African countries appear to be in a mad rush to trading with Beijing does not mean that Accra has to follow suit. Neither does the preceding argue in favor of the converse option. The bottom-line is what matters: and it is simply the question: "What is in it for me?"
Kwame Okoampa-Ahoofe, Jr., Ph.D., Department of English, Nassau Community College of the State University of New York, Garden City. |
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Posted by Kwaku Azar on 2006-11-08 08:21:43
Unfortunately the true story of Sallah and Apollo 568 has not been told. Most people learn that the Court ruled that the PP government could not dismiss Sallah, then GNTC manager, and Busia screamed "No court, No court." Then without learning more, they keep up the "No court, No Court" mantra.
The truth is the Sallah case was a disgrace to the Judiciary. In Sallah, the PP Government dismissed 568 workers pursuant to Section 9 (1) of the Transitional Provisions, 1969. The provision provided that all positions "established" by the NLC will be discontinued no longer than 6 months of coming into force of the constitution. Sallah was one of those dismissed. The issue was whether a GNTC manager appointed by the NLC came under the ambit of section 9(1).
Prior to hearing the case, the State (per Adade then AG) raised a preliminary objection to the composition of the Court. In particular, the State objected to Apaloo and Sowah being empanelled; Apaloo because he was a close friend of Sallah; Sowah because his sister was married to one of the Apollo 568 victims and the sister had asked Sowah to intervene on the husband's behalf, which Sowah did (per foreign minister Victor Owusu's unchallenged affidavit).
Surprisingly, the Court did not disqualify the 2 judges, in spite of the clear conflict -- a Kokofu Court.
When the substantive case was heard, the Court ruled 3-1 in favor of Sallah. Apaloo, Sowah and Archer for the majority; Anin for the minority. Justice Siriboe who had earlier voted that the two should be disqualified was so disgusted that he refused to append his dissent to the opinion. So really the vote was 3-2; or 2-1 for the State if you disqualify the interested judges.
Some say Sallah stands for "No Court." Some say Sallah stands for "Kokofu Court."
What does Sallah really stand for?
Da Yie!
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Posted by Leopold Attignon on 2006-11-07 14:17:46
THE KEY TO GHANA’S DEVELOPMENT
The role of the Polytechnic
The prime aim of higher educational institutions in the country is to train competent hands to handle the country’s human and natural resources towards an accelerated growth development of the national economy and indeed one can not, but mention the Polytechnic as the first point of contact.
Over the years, higher institutions of learning have not been very successful in this respect due to several factors. In spite of the challenges of institutional and capacity constraints the Polytechnics have continually produced graduates with acceptable skills to handle the ever growing manpower needs of the country.
Polytechnics in Ghana provide higher vocational education in a multifield environment and students who successfully complete the three-year intensive programme are awarded a diploma for their efforts. The objective of the study leading to a Polytechnic Higher National Diploma is to provide the necessary knowledge and skills for operating occupational expert functions on the basis of the requirements set by the working life as well as the current rate of development in the country.
Unlike the Universities who are most perceived to training intellectuals, Polytechnic graduates are taught to use their minds and hands and also professionalism to acquire a lot of practical training while in school. The Polytechnics also offer an interesting variety of practical courses that gives its graduates the necessary foundation for further professional education and training.
Polytechnics further provide a significant link with industry and commerce enabling its students to be more equipped for the world outside school even before graduation. Ghana needs a lot more of Polytechnic graduates for the economy to be a better one. With craftsmen and artisans being the bedrock of society and with Polytechnic producing the majority of these and others, it can proudly be said that Polytechnic education indeed is the window of hope for Ghana.
Today, if one should undertake a survey in various developments of industry, commerce and other sectors of the economy, you will indeed find Polytechnic graduates and their immense contribution to national growth or development. But however, one factor still remains, with regards to the challenges facing Polytechnic graduates and the institution as a whole.
Ever since Polytechnics were roped into the tertiary “brackets” in 1994, the academic staff and students have continued to suffer the fate of being discriminated against under successive Governments. Among these challenges include inadequate remuneration, poor condition of service of both academic and working staff, lack of clarity of focus and mission- this has to do with contradicting the vision of Polytechnics as that of the Universities, meant to provide academic training with Polytechnics training highly skilled and competent manpower with practical and entrepreneurial skills in partnership.
Further, inadequate facilities, crisis of identity-pertaining to graduates placement on the job market, academic progression and I believe weak leadership, higher education policy and the fear of “aluta” prone students over the decades have conspired to rob us of good educational policy as a nation today.
It saddens the heart to note that some individuals including stakeholders have not made any frantic efforts to rectify this political xenophobia unleashed on the polytechnic fraternity. The longer this prejudice hangs over our economic education, the slower the pace of our economic development. It is high time people in authority know that, the problems or challenges facing the polytechnics are not for us students or our lecturers, but a problem for the nation and us all as Ghanaians, hence the need to rethink about the negative perceptions about polytechnics and her products.
As Michael Angelo once said “Every generation must of relative obscurity discover its mission and either fulfill it or betray it”. It is also sad that in the quest of pursuing your rights, polytechnic students are perceived as protagonist.
Polytechnics are technologically oriented tertiary institutions which are capable of meeting the manpower requirements of this country, and this can only be achieved if stakeholders such as National Council for Tertiary Education (NCTE), National Accreditation Board (NAB), Conference of Polytechnic Principals (COPP), Polytechnic Councils, Organizations and Industries, Students, the Society, Student Leaders and the Government play their respective roles than politicizing.
We as a country must change from our “craze” for academic certificates especially degrees and advocate for higher performance at the peak level. The conservative nature of some of our academicians who have sworn that, in so far as they live in this country, there will be no such as equivalence of the HND to the Degree. The time has come for them to think primarily as Ghanaians to seek what is best for mother Ghana. The disrespect and continuous pinning holders of HND down to lower grade position must be discontinued and eschewed if we have to move our industries and country forward. Let us not wait for the worse things to occur before we do the right things.
Long live Ghana, Long live Polytechnic Education.
Leopold Attignon
Nat. Press & Information Officer
(Ghana National Union of Polytechnic Students)
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