Saturday, 14th December, 2019 edition of The Big Issue with sit-in host, Duke Mensah Opoku.

On this edition the show looked at IMANI Africa’s assessment of fulfilled campaign promises by the New Patriotic Party (NPP) government, the Center for Democratic Development’s survey on what political party Ghanaians are likely to vote for should elections be held tomorrow, as well as the controversial IPAC meeting that saw the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) and other political parties walk out.

The post The Big Issue, Saturday, 14th December, 2019 appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

Dr. Agyepong, who made these remarks at a stakeholders’ forum on sanitation organized in Accra, revealed that improper waste storage continues to hinder the progress of work done by the contracted waste collectors.

He said “when these wastes are not stored in a waste bin for collection by the waste contractor, then we are rest assured that it might end up at unauthorized places, hence the urgent need to ensure that households have waste bins and sanitation regulations are enforced to change attitudes for effective waste management.”

He stated that Zoomlion’s intervention by desilting the Odaw drains has averted a possible recurrence of the flood disaster which claimed several lives three years ago.

“Despite not being paid for our desilting works on the Odaw drain, Zoomlion is still committed to desilting the Odaw drain to save lives and properties which has been a phenomenon anytime we experience a heavy downpour of rains,” he added.

Dr. Agyepong noted the Accra Compost and Recycling Plant, waste transfer stations, plastics recycling, medical waste treatment and solving Ghana’s 100-year problem of discharging waste into the sea by providing a faecal treatment plant, as some innovations introduced by Zoomlion to solve Ghana’s waste management challenges.

He added that many provisions in Ghana’s sanitation policy in terms of physical infrastructure have been constructed by Zoomlion, emphasizing that the private sector has the capacity and that there is no need to re-invent gains made to this effect.

The Minister of Sanitation and Water Resources, Joseph Kofi Adda, in his presentation, hinted of plans to deploy sanitation brigades to enforce sanitation laws and help shape attitudes towards good sanitation.

He eluded to the fact that, Environmental service providers have the capacity and there is the need for government to help them consolidate their efforts to effectively manage waste.

He commended Zoomlion for its introduction of waste trucks which has helped in managing waste and urged the company, despite debts owed it, to continually provide effective service to help solve Ghana’s waste challenge.

The Mayor of Accra, Mr. Mohammed Adjei Sowah, who also spoke as a panelist, revealed that the polluter payment system should allow those who create the waste to pay appropriate fees to enable effective collection.

Other stakeholders at the forum agreed that waste bin distribution, waste transfer stations, composting and recycling, landfill managemet and enforcing the sanitation laws and regulations is the way to go if Ghana wants to lift itself from the waste menace.

–

By: citifmonline.com/Ghan

The post Give all households bins for proper waste management – Zoomlion boss appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

The AMA boss, Mohammed Adjei Sowah, noted that Accra currently has two sanitation courts.

According to Mr. Adjei Sowah, the Assembly among other things has facilitated the construction of 400 household toilets within three months under the GAMA project.

Speaking at a program on fixing Ghana’s sanitation problems organized by IMANI Centre for Policy and Education, he said the operation of these courts will make the process of dealing with sanitation offenders easier.

“We are targeting to have five sanitation courts so that these are dedicated to deal with issues of sanitation because when you send these issues of sanitation to the magistrate court, they have their own technicality that prolongs the cases,” he said.

He noted that funds are been sought to renovate the already existing courts and the finish up the uncompleted ones.

President Nana Akufo-Addo, as part of the National Sanitation Campaign, announced in 2017 a National Sanitation Brigade to enforce sanitation laws nationwide.

This brigade, to be made up of Ghanaian youth, will police adherence to the rules and regulations on sanitation in both state and private properties.

“The personnel of this outfit would conduct regular visits to all offices to ensure that there is compliance and, where it so requires, take legal action against those infringing on the laws,” President Akufo-Addo stated.

President Akufo-Addo has promised to make Accra the cleanest city by the end of his first term.

–

By: Farida Yusif/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post AMA to operationalize five sanitation courts appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

The President said the creation of new districts will bring development to the doorstep of many and deepen Ghana’s democratic processes.

[contextly_sidebar id=”UmPFq2Aoy2TuOLsr6ZfvG8Vlv4eYvocp”]The government has received some criticism over the creation of 38 new districts and municipalities across the country.

But speaking before some Chiefs from the Upper West Region at a meeting on Monday, President Akufo-Addo affirmed that decentralization was key to development.

“We want the decentralization exercise to succeed, to really bring the government closer to the doorstep of people and that is the way we will get better governance in our country. We believe in it strongly and that is the reason for the enhancement of the district assembly and districts across the country,” he said.

The 38 newly created districts officially commenced work last Thursday.

This was after the passing of a Legislative Instrument allowed for their creation as well as the carving out of some municipalities from other assemblies, and the elevation of some existing districts to municipality status.

This was followed by the Electoral Commission undertaking a field study into the viability of the creation of more Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies.

The field study was to consider the population dynamics in the respective regions, the geographical or physical features of the areas, their economic viability, as well as ethnic and community interests.

It also considered social infrastructure and the centrality and accessibility of the capital.

Critique of new districts

President of IMANI Africa, Franklin Cudjoe, is one of the critiques of this attempt at decentralization,and has said the 38 newly created local assemblies were needless.

Mr. Cudjoe argued that some of the existing assemblies are already struggling and that government should have put measures in place to boost their capacities instead of bringing new ones on-board.

“There’s basic geographic information that tells you that even if you want to do these type of division, at least look for some agglomeration of activity. You assume that you have to create it before the activities come, no. The districts are barely $1.5 billion worth averagely. You need to build the capability of the existing ones,” he noted

The list of new districts:

• Ahafo Ano South West District Assembly

• Ahafo Ano South East District Assembly

• Amansie South District Assembly

• Amansie West District Assembly

• Atwima Nwabiagya North District Assembly

• Adansi South District Assembly

• Akrofruom District Assembly

• Adansi North District Assembly

• Adansi Asokwa District Assembly

• Obuasi East District Assembly

• Afigya Kwabre South District Assembly

• Afigya Kwabre North District Assembly

• Pru West District Assembly)

• Pru East District Assembly)

• Berekum West District Assembly)

• Assin North District Assembly

• Gomoa Central District Assembly

• Gomoa East District Assembly

• Asene Manso District Assembly

• Okere District Assembly

• Atiwa West District Assembly

• Atiwa East District Assembly

• Fanteakwa South District Assembly

• Fanteakwa North District Assembly

• Nanton District Assembly

• Bunkpurugu District Assembly

• Yunyoo District Assembly)

• Bolga East District Assembly

• Garu District Assembly

• Tempane District Assembly

–

By: Sammi Wiafe & Delali Adogla-Bessa/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post Nana Addo justifies creation of new districts appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

Speaking at a Press conference in Accra, the Executive Secretary of COPEC, Duncan Amoah, said the deal, which cost the country a revenue loss of GHc30 million through the sale of 1.8 million barrels of crude oil to BB Energy, was avoidable.

[contextly_sidebar id=”VPRA0C8gAs3tR5ZyTHuiN8GpQUfcZ5ww”]“These were avoidable losses, completely avoidable and we have said that these monies could have come to the state. BOST would need to come again. All they’ve tried to do are gymnastics…and that is the more reason we have decided as a chamber to pursue this matter to the logical conclusion through the Special Prosecutor’s office. A lot of questions remain unanswered.  We released a single report and BOST have had to somersault seven times in one week,” he added.

[contextly_sidebar id=”VPRA0C8gAs3tR5ZyTHuiN8GpQUfcZ5ww”]Duncan Amoah last week accused BOST of causing financial loss to the state over the alleged sale of crude to BB Energy below the international market price.

The Managing Director of BOST, Obeng Boateng, however rubbished the claims and described them as false and baseless.

Mr. Obeng Boateng said Duncan Amoah was simply an “enemy to the progress” and should “be ignored at all times.”

But the COPEC Executive Director at the press conference said he stands by his claims.

“It is not surprising that BB Energy wrote two months after the shameful purchase of the crude from BOST for license from the NPA which was declined. Our checks further indicate that BB Energy as of today is still paying for the crude. They have not finished paying six months after the transaction. What we gather further is that when TOR processes the crude, BB Energy picks and makes payments to BOST. So like we’ve said earlier, what really changed is the ownership and giving of the product to BB Energy. Nothing useful, nothing purposeful, no gain ever came to Ghana as far as that crude is concerned.”

“When BOST engages in these inefficient transactions that leave BOST with huge debts, it is not the BOST managing Director or anyone at BOST that is paying for it. It is the average Ghanaian who will be asked at a later day to pay it.  As we speak, BOST is reeling under a debt of almost GHc900 million,” Duncan Amoah added.

Energy committee to probe BOST

The Mines and Energy Committee of Parliament had already waded into the latest controversy saying it will probe the matter.

According to the Chairman of the Committee, Emmanuel Akwasi Gyamfi, BOST and other interested parties in the matter will be engaged to better inform the Committee on how to deal with the issue.

“We engaged BOST before this issue came up, and we were scheduled to meet them again when this issue came up. We want to take our time and meet them and do proper due diligence; we have to get the necessary documentation so that we can reach an informed decision,” he said.

BOST MD sues Duncan Amoah

Alfred Obeng Boateng, has subsequently sued Duncan Amoah demanding GHc5 million in damages.

According to Mr. Obeng Boateng, Mr. Amoah made a false claim when he suggested that he [ Alfred Obeng Boateng] through his agents, had threatened to take his life, following the fresh allegations of financial malfeasance he levelled against him and the BOST.

2017 contaminated fuel scandal

In 2017, BOST was widely criticized for selling 5 million litres of contaminated fuel to two unlicensed companies, Movenpinaa and Zup Oil, which were allegedly set up a few days before the sale, costing Ghana about GHc 7 million in revenue.

The National Petroleum Authority (NPA) also confirmed that the two companies alleged to have purchased the over 5 million litres of contaminated fuel under suspicious circumstances from BOST were not licensed.

According to the NPA, it was going to take legal action against the firms, while it conducted further investigations.

The Energy Minister, Boakye Agyarko, also set up an investigative committee to look into the matter, which eventually cleared BOST and its Managing Director, Alfred Obeng Boateng of wrongdoing, citing a Bureau of National Investigation (BNI) and National Security reports.

There were however calls to initiate fresh investigations into the matter amid discontent from the Minority in Parliament and some Civil Society groups.

As a result of the scandal, the Energy Minister stated that private firms were no longer allowed to lift contaminated oil from BOST as part of interim measures to prevent the supply of contaminated fuel onto the Market.

–

By: Godwin Akweiteh Allotey/citifmonline.com/Ghana
Follow @AlloteyGodwin

The post COPEC to petition Special Prosecutor to probe BOST appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

Mr. Cudjoe argued that some of the existing ones are struggling and that government should have put measures in place to boost their capacities instead of bringing new ones on-board.

“There’s basic geographic information that tells you that even if you want to do these type of division, at least look for some agglomeration of activity. You assume that you have to create it before the activities come, no. The districts are barely $1.5 billion worth averagely. You need to build the capability of the existing ones,” he noted.

[contextly_sidebar id=”Qqm6uwDlfrJI5ujF8GoDH14TaSzwJKy6″]Franklin Cudjoe made the remark on Saturday on  Citi FM’s current affairs and news analysis programme, The Big Issue.

Government last Thursday, [March 15, 2018], simultaneously inaugurated all the 38 new districts including others that had been elevated to municipal status across the country.

The Local Government Minister, Hajia Alima Mahama, had explained earlier that most of the new districts were existing constituencies, but were only carved out from their mother assemblies to make them stand alone.

But Franklin Cudjoe insisted that if government had done feasibility studies on the revenue generation capabilities of the existing districts, “they [government] would have seen that there is no need to add more to it.”

“With proper information…we would have seen that we probably don’t need to do all of these. I was driving from Kumasi all the way to Tamale and I was amazed at the vast expanse of lands I was seeing lying idle. Then I asked myself, 38 new districts have been inaugurated, possibly some of these districts will fall within this vast expanse of lands. There will be human beings supervising vast waste lands. And we will be paying the person so they will be DCEs over nothing,” he remarked.

–

By: Godwin Akweiteh Allotey/citifmonline.com/Ghana
Follow @AlloteyGodwin

The post 38 new districts needless – Franklin Cudjoe appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

Speaking to Citi News, Mr. Mpiani said the country could miss out on some competent persons by limiting the pool of potential presidents to persons over 40.

[contextly_sidebar id=”OysZcYXH6Ql6OmEeQr2DkZ85wJvmIbPa”]“Let’s find out why they decided on 40. Are the reasons valid? If in other places, people below 40 are able to offer themselves to be elected as Prime Ministers, Presidents and they do well, why can’t we do this in Ghana? Are we depriving ourselves? Maybe there are exceptional youth in the country who can become Presidents and maybe perform well. I really don’t fancy the idea of putting in this limit.”

The former Chief of Staff was speaking after former President John Dramani Mahama said he is in support of such calls.

Speaking at the Commonwealth Africa Summit in London on Wednesday, Mr. Mahama said young people were still capable of acting as legislators in Parliament but were restricted from contesting for the Presidency.

Mr. Mpiani added that the electorate ought to have the ultimate say as to who should become President regardless of the person’s age.

“…It will be left to Ghanaians to decide whether such a person is qualified to be a President or not… Why don’t we leave this to the electorate or we think the electorate is not fit enough to determine who is capable of being a President? I think we should leave it to the electorate,” he said.

Give voters the power

The IMANI Africa President, Franklin Cudjoe, also believes the electorate will ultimately determine whether a person is qualified to be President regardless of age.

“It is a welcome idea. Globally, we are seeing younger people who are beginning to take the mantle of leadership… Presumably, however young someone is on the campaign trail, if a person is making a lot of sense and giving practical solutions to the problems, I am sure the older voters will make the decision.”

Mr. Cudjoe also noted that, a leader will also be as successful as the people he or she is surrounded by.

“A smart leader is the one who surrounds himself with smarter people to advise him or her so once you make that determination, that someone is eligible to stand and the voters allow that to happen, I’m sure the other aspects of maturity to rule will be secondary.”

Ghana’s president’s under the Fourth Republic

Under the Fourth Republic, the average age of the presidents when they began their terms has been 59.

Jerry John Rawlings was 45 when he was elected President in 1992.

His successor, John Kufuor, was 61 when he became President in 2001 after the first civilian change of power.

He was followed by John Atta Mills, who was 64, John Mahama who was 54, and the current President, Nana Akufo-Addo, who was 72 years of age, the oldest of the lot.

–

By: Delali Adogla-Bessa/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post Mpiani, IMANI back review of age restrictions for presidential aspirants appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

Speaking at the Commonwealth Africa Summit in London on Wednesday, Mr. Mahama said young people were capable of acting as legislators in Parliament but were restricted from contesting for the Presidency.

In my country, young people are in Parliament and contesting other positions, but not the presidency. Our constitution says you must be 40 to contest to be president. Some advocacy has started for age restriction to be removed or reduced and I support it. #CAS2018.

— John Dramani Mahama (@JDMahama) March 14, 2018

Mr. Mahama’s comments on the matter have received backing from a former Chief of Staff who served in the Kufuor administration, Kwadwo Mpiani.

Speaking to Citi News, Mr. Mpiani said the country may be missing out on some competent persons by limiting the pool of potential leaders.

“Let’s find out why they decided on 40. Are the reasons valid? If in other places, people below 40 are able to offer themselves to be elected as Prime Ministers, Presidents and they do well, why can’t we do this in Ghana? Are we depriving ourselves? Maybe there are exceptional youth in the country who can become Presidents and maybe perform well. I really don’t fancy the idea of putting in this limit.”

Questions remain as to how low the limit could be, but Mr. Mpiani said the electorate ought to have the ultimate say as to who should become President.

“Is it anybody who is capable of voting? Is it 18 years? Are we saying that if you are a voter, you can offer yourself to become a President? Well, maybe you can say that, then it will be left to Ghanaians to decide whether such a person is qualified to be a President or not… Why don’t we leave this to the electorate or we think the electorate is not fit enough to determine who is capable of being a President? I think we should leave it to the electorate,” he said.

Give voters the power

The IMANI Africa President, Franklin Cudjoe, also believes the electorate will ultimately determine whether a person is qualified to be President regardless of age.

“It is a welcome idea. Globally, we are seeing younger people who are beginning to take the mantle of leadership… Presumably, however young someone is on the campaign trail, if a person is making a lot of sense and giving practical solutions to the problems, I am sure the older voters will make the decision.”

Mr. Cudjoe also noted that, a leader will also be as successful as the people he or she is surrounded by.

“A smart leader is the one who surrounds himself with smarter people to advise him or her so once you make that determination, that someone is eligible to stand and the voters allow that to happen, I’m sure the other aspects of maturity to rule will be secondary.”

Ghana’s president’s under the Fourth Republic

Under the Fourth Republic, the average age of the presidents when they began their terms has been 59.

Jerry John Rawlings was 45 when he was elected President in 1992.

His successor, John Kufuor, was 61 when he became President in 2001 after the first civilian change of power.

He was followed by John Atta Mills, who was 64, John Mahama who was 54 and the current President, Nana Akufo-Addo, who was 72 years of age, the oldest of the lot.

–

By: Delali Adogla-Bessa/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post Mahama backs ‘scrapping’ of age restriction for presidential candidates appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

The forum, under the theme “Time is Now: Inter-generational conversation on the evolution of the feminist movement in Ghana”, sought to tackle major issues hindering efforts at promoting gender parity.

The forum also centered on examining mind sets, structures and the lack of conversation between various generations that could eventually lead to an erasure of collective gains and histories involving women.

A group of Ghanaian feminists from four generations gathered under one roof to discuss these issues and proffer remedies.

The event kicked off with a keynote address from a former Director at the Institute of African Studies, Prof. Akosua Adomako, who touched on key roles women played in the struggle for Ghana’s independence.

She indicated that there were many foremothers promoting the feminist cause, long before Ghana attained independence.

Prof. Adomako’s presentation was followed by panel discussions involving three groups; pacesetters, new generation and inter-generational.

The conversation was divided into three separate panels. The first panel, labelled the Pacesetters, comprised some of the women whose activism had paved the way for women’s rights in Ghana today.

The panel, moderated by Gifty Anti included Nana Oye Lithur, Professor Akosua Adomako Ampofo, Professor Takyiwah Manuh and Professor Akua Opokua Britwum.

These women recounted all the times they had challenged power in their long careers, and reminded the audience of the importance of building on foundations.

They also spoke to worrying new trends, a resurgence of “traditional” values, that Professor Ampofo aptly referred to as the cult of domesticity.

The Second panel, captioned the NewGen, included feminists that had come into the fold through the development of their individual belief systems that were doing interesting work and sparking new conversations in their various fields.

This panel, moderated by Afia Kwakyewaa Owusu-Nyantakyi was made up of Francisca Kakra Forson, Shamima Muslim, Felicity Nelson, Efe Plange and Maame Adwoa Amoa Marfo.

This panel discussed the new conversations that Ghanaian feminists were having to tackle, as well as the necessity in fighting for and understanding differences within the movement.

From their discussion, it was clear that a self-serving movement was unsustainable and would ultimately fizzle out.

The Third Panel, was an intergenerational panel that focused on the learnings that the feminist movement would need to address and grow from.

They spoke to the changing dynamics within the feminist movements, the importance of harnessing social media space and momentum as well as the need for better communication of our feminist histories within the movement.

This panel comprised Kinna Likimani, Louise Carol Donkor, Dinah Adiko, Rita Nketiah, Sheila Minka-Premo and was moderated by Akosua Hanson.

The discussion ended with a question and answer session.

Pepper Dem Ministries held the forum in collaboration with the African Women’s Development Fund (AWDF).

The conversation was lively, raising issues that are often glossed over and charting a history that isn’t always spoken of. Participants left the event with renewed vigour and a thirst to learn more about our shared movement and discover better ways to work together.

Pepper Dem is a group interested in probing, interrogating, and theorizing to facilitate learning, unlearning and re-learning of the narratives both male and females have been operating by, in order to establish a better approach to socialization in Ghana.

–

By: citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post PepperDem holds forum to mark International Women’s Day [Photos] appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

To this end, I am going to highlight the frustrations of those managing health systems and other key sectors of the economy in this part of the country in their quest to acquire land in order to fix health and other infrastructural deficits.

Whilst you read down, ask yourself, is it not this same region that complains about not getting their fair share of the national cake despite the resources it produces?

Let me start with the ultra-modern Sekondi District Hospital that never saw the light of day.

The Sekondi District Hospital Project

There is this imaginary Sekondi District Hospital that is painfully lost. It was supposed to be a 120-bed capacity hospital “that will have 21st century equipment and facilities”, according to the Ministry of Health. It was supposed to be constructed by Messrs NMS Infrastructure after they had “fought” to assist in securing the $175,000,000 funds from Barclays Plc in London for this important project and six others in 2013.

Hospital facilities lost

This hospital was going to have Intensive Care Unit, 2 Operating Theatres, Dental Unit, Medical and surgical wards for both men and women, Accident and Emergency Unit, Maternity, not forgetting the integrated ICT systems and a host of other exciting services. Look, the project was unique by all standards. The greenery scenes, “was aimed at providing a therapeutic environment to aid patient’s recovery”, and more importantly the services which are only available in Accra that were going to be provided right at our doorsteps were relieving enough!

If anyone has seen the Dodowa Hospital, that ultra-modern health facility with the state of the art machinery for quality health delivery, you will understand me better.

The beginning of the end

So it occurred that day, August 29th 2013 that, the then Minister for Health under former President John Mahama, Sherry Aryetey, amidst drumming and dancing under the watch of the one-year Western Regional Minister Ebenezer Teye Addo, including some health directors at the local and national level, went to a piece of land at Kansaworado, a suburb of Sekondi, to cut a sod for the construction of the Sekondi District Hospital.

After this funfair, the over 50 percent projected out-patient increase which was going to put extra pressure on the already distressed health facilities in the year 2015; was going to be contained with this hospital.

The money for the project came, Sherry Aryeetey and all those who were with her at the sod cutting ceremony went away. Engineers of Messrs NMS Infrastructure went to site to begin the project, and then there was a snag.

How we lost it!

Few weeks into some ground works, the over 559,000 people in the Sekondi-Takoradi Metropolis were told a shocking joke that the Atuabo Gas Pipeline, which had been laid beneath the ground years before they chose that piece of land for the project, passes nearby so project cannot go on. It was shocking news!

We were then pampered with vague soothing assurances of securing a new land for the project by the then City mayor Captain Rtd Anthony Cudjoe and others. Whilst they were on this hopeless campaign from one radio station to another, work had commenced on the Dodowa one and others.

The end

The Sekondi project stopped, weeds took over, the marks of the sod cutting faded, Messrs NMS Infrastructure packed its machinery out of site. The promise of a new site at Essippong was as bogus as the first gas pipeline excuse.

Did Pipeline swallow the Hospital?

Considering the information available, the gas pipeline excuse was a nice ploy by the landowners to take back their land for whatever reason best known to them. This is because, that piece of land, according directors of Messrs NMS Infrastructure Limited, had been acquired because “it suits the unique topography and geographical conditions [perfect] for the hospital’s location”. They arrived at this conclusion after “a team of experts from the UK and Ghana” had examined the site.

Question: From the time of conceiving the idea to use that particular land for the project by the “international experts” to the point of cutting the sod and even to the point where some construction works begun, are we saying that no one knew there was a gas pipeline passing through that area? Who said owners of the land were not consulted when the gas pipeline was laid down there, to warrant perhaps a so-called revelation later about the gas pipeline’s presence? In any case, the pipeline has a buffer zone around it so which technical persons said the facility cannot be built after the zone?

Another evidence that shows that the issue wasn’t about the gas pipeline is that, from 2013 that the project was halted, some shadow negotiations appeared to have been ongoing, because the contractor, NMS Infrastructure, went back to the same site sometime in May 2016 to begin works on the same piece of land which was allegedly not suitable. The work was again stopped.  It’s been five years and counting, and the hospital still remains a dream in the minds of the people in the metropolis.

The dilemma of a proposed New Western Regional Hospital

Picture this: A pregnant woman is in labor at the present day Effia Nkwanta Regional Hospital in Sekondi. She cannot deliver naturally and thus requires surgical intervention. Doctors take her to the theater. Whilst operating on her, the ceiling of the theatre room caves in on them. Blood splashes around.

Medical equipment dangles. The situation calls for a transfer of the woman to another theater. Frustrated doctors take pictures of the incident and send them to journalists. Journalists talk about it in the news for less than a week, and then everything goes back to square one!

This is a real story that happened on June 24th, 2016 at the Effia Nkwanta Regional Hospital, the main referral centre for the over 2.34 million people in the region.

Whilst this was happening, a 50-acre land acquired along the Takoradi-Agona Nkwanta road for a proposed new regional hospital had been sold to private investors for cold hard cash.

Effia Nkwanta today

Effia Nkwanta is old. It was built in the 1930s to offer healthcare services to Sekondi and the then small town Takoradi. The landscape on which the facility was built makes it difficult for expansion works. No “major” renovation works have been done there in view of its status as a regional referral center. I remember how they had to struggle to repair a single elevator at the hospital when it broke down. It became topical in the news for months, if not years before it was fixed.

That aside, persons whose relatives go to the labour ward of the hospital have to sleep on the floor in front of the maternity ward entrance. In fact, the labour unit itself cries for serious renovation works.

That said, I also know of people who have vowed never to send their relatives to the facility after harrowing experiences and the seeming “holiday” of the facility on weekends.

They sold the regional hospital land to private investors

All these and more were reasons health managers asked for a new regional hospital. As usual, it has to begin with acquiring a land for the proposed new Western Regional Hospital. This is where the region’s notorious attitude comes to play.

50 acres of land were secured for the new regional hospital at Ewusiejoe in the Ahanta West District. The District Chief Executive for Ahanta Westat the time was Joseph Dofoyena. I caught up with him in a telephone conversation.

Me: Hon. What is the present state of that land?

Hon: The family members sold it later to private investors.

Me: Why will they sell it to private investors when it was going to be used for a regional hospital?

Hon: It was purely for money. They said if they give it to the government, they will not get that much compared to what each of the four family members who sold it got.

Me: But were they aware you were going to use that piece of land for a regional hospital?

Hon: That was the reason we secured that piece of land, so they knew what we were going to use the land for, but they simply needed to sell it for money. Nonetheless, we have acquired another one around Apimanim also in the Ahanta West District. Conversation continued..

This reveals the core problem facing some government agencies that need land for the general good of the citizenry.  As we speak, Effia Nkwanta is suffering in many facets, but managers, doctors and nurses of the facility have had to endure it. Even accommodation for resident staff of the hospital is in shambles, requiring a complete renovation. When workers of the facility are frustrated, they tend to vent their spleen on “annoying” patients.

Proposed fertilizer plant and the threat of relocation

The NPP government proposed to build a fertilizer producing factory in the Western Region. This is to add value to the gas produced from the Atuabo Gas Processing Plant in the Ellembelle District.

President Nana Addo in August 2017 reiterated this commitment when he visited the chiefs and people of Jomoro at Half Assini. He said during his tour that “through Ghana Gas and GNPC, a fertilizer plant will be established here in Jomoro. I will ensure that this project is done as soon as possible. If it is done, then I will be fulfilling my campaign promise of One District one Factory”.

Five months after Nana Addo made this statement, the Energy Minister, Boakye Agyarko, in responding to questions from the press at the Flagstaff House in January 2018, expressed his disappointment about how land acquisition is crippling this project.

He complained that “the fertilizer plant that we want to put in the Western Region, we have identified all plans. Now there is a lawsuit in the Western Region amongst chiefs over that land. Will it delay that project, of course it will delay. It may even mean moving the project out of the Western Region as initially planned”.

Similar stories were said of other projects like the affordable housing project. Western Region couldn’t get a land for the people to benefit from those initiatives.

As the Western Region is still struggling to get land for a new regional hospital, the new regional hospital for Ashanti Region is progressing steadily.

I think Nana Addo should be summoning the President of the Western Region House of Chiefs Ogyeahoho Yaw Gyebi II, and the Regional head of the Lands Commission to explain why they cannot provide land for the project?

The money for the Sekondi District hospital we are told is still sitting at the Ministry of Finance, even though a portion of what was to be given to the Sekondi District hospital was sent to complete the Dodowa Hospital.

How long will the people who cry for their fair share of the national cake be “quenching” the fire that is preparing the cake?

–

By: Obrempong Yaw Ampofo/citifmonline.com/Ghana

Email: [email protected]

The post Land acquisition hustle; a threat to healthcare in Sekondi-Takoradi [Article] appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.