Oh, and it’s all done in red.

And no I’m not talking about Arsene Wenger and his group of lackeys in London although Jose Mourinho and his bunch over in Manchester make a very convincing case themselves. Tis the season of love, or rather the day of love. Well, for some.

Valentine’s Day has historically produced a fair few heartbreaks with many people – guys and girls (sans yours truly) – brutally kicked in the groins by it. I am not averse to the odd display of affection; the slight kiss, the long, almost archaic love messages, the sweet names. However, it becomes a little suffocating when everyone converges on this one day to ‘show their love.’

I, myself, find it fascinating (looking in from the outside of course), the lengths men would go to please their mates or would-be conquests on this day.They shower them with gifts of jewellery, clothes, flowers and the ultimate symbol of the day itself, chocolate, or a colourful blend of the lot. The women don’t shy away from spoiling their partners as well, doling out candy like, well candy, among other sweet-based, love-linked goodies.

I had a pal in High School who spent literally all the money he had on a teddy bear as big as I am for his girlfriend; a lovely gesture at the time, although they broke up a week later.

Don’t get me wrong, these displays of affection may be considered romantic, and some are very much so, but are they really necessary? I mean, both parties claim to be in love with each other. Isn’t it enough that they admit it? If those two believe they have a future together isn’t that money better saved for when they get married? But hey, that’s just me.

Having spent the last 23 years alone on Valentine’s Day, February 14 doesn’t hold as much significance for me as it does for a lot of other people. Not that I haven’t been with anyone before but, perhaps a little strangely, every relationship I’ve ever been in seems to end right before Valentine’s.

At the top of the piece, I mentioned how “red” the day generally is. However, after an argument with a close female friend (and a Val’s day enthusiast, I must add), I concur that it very unfair to anyone who might coincidentally wear a red apparel on the day because they just feel like it (however unlikely it may seem). Although some of it, and I cite an example of a lady in a red dress, with matching lipstick, handbag, shoe and hair I saw on my way to school, is utterly ridiculous.

The day of love, lots of unnecessary spending and a whole lot of bother, in my opinion. The day should be one to spend with your loved ones, a chance for enemies to become friends, a day to strengthen existing friendships and establish new ones.

To see this special occasion being reduced to nothing more than a chorus of “he gave me this” and “I got that for her” makes me think that instead of running around town planning surprises and picking out the perfect presents, the day would be better spent taking a long nap. No really, why bother?

Oh yeah, and to those it may concern, Happy Valentine’s Day!!!

By: Elorm Paa Kwesi

The post Red Day blues: To love or not to love [Article] appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

The Budgetary Allocation and Wasteful Expenditure at the Office of the President in recent times are now topical.

A total budget of over one billion new cedis (GHC 1,269,392,402), (equivalent to one trillion old cedis), was approved for the Office of the President in the 2017 budget. Out of the total amount, about 37 million new cedis (GHC 37,255,287) was approved for compensation, 152 million new cedis (GHC 151,739,332) for goods and services, and 1.3 billion new cedis (GHC 1,269,392,402) for capital expenditure.

Within the space of nine (9) months (Jan – Sept. 2017), the Office of the President spent a total of about 76 million new cedis (GHC 76,108,388.94) on goods and services. 69 million new cedis (GHC 68,458,797.94) of this amount was spent at the Office of the Chief of Staff, and 4 million new cedis (GHC 3,831,270.00) at the Vice President’s Secretariat

We would humbly like to ask, on behalf of fellow Ghanaians, what kind of purchases of goods and services will amount to about 72 million new cedis (GHC 72,290,067.94) for the Office of the Chief of Staff and VEEP Secretariat within 9 months?

Putting this in proper perspective, the immediate effect of the wasteful expenditure at the Presidency is that key growth sectors are denied resources to spur economic growth and development

2018 Budget

This situation is not going to be different in 2018. The total budget estimates for the Office of the President for 2018 is GHC 454,167,449.

Table 1: 2018 budget estimates for Office of the President

It is intriguing to note that the budget estimate for goods and services at the Presidency far exceeds the total capital expenditure of GHC 257,689,610 for the Ministry of Trade and Industry (about GHC 172 million) and the Ministry of Energy (about GHC 85 million). In fact the total capital expenditure of about GHC 146.6 million for 3 strategic MDAs: the Ministry of Water Resources and Sanitation (GHC 60 million); Ministry of Works and Housing (about GHC 80 million); and the Ministry of Communications (6.6 million); does not add up to the budget estimate for goods and services at the Presidency.

The Ministry of Railway Development is allocated GHC 150,000,000 for capital expenditure for 2018, whilst the Presidency gets GHC 272,497,855 for Goods and Services.

The total capital expenditure of 72.8 million new cedis for the Ministry of Education (GHC 12.8 million) and Ministry of Water Resources and Sanitation (GHC 60 million) does not add up to the cost of renovating the Flagstaff House and the Peduase Lodge (100 million new cedis (GHC 100,000,000). We, therefore, ask: what are the priorities of the current government? Is it the renovation of the Flagstaff House and the Peduase Lodge or the construction of educational infrastructure for the over-crowded Senior High Schools.

The points made are illustrated graphically below.

Mr. President, the good people of Ghana strongly opposed the creation of some of your Ministries but you decided to ignore the call from the very people who elevated you to occupy the Number One Office of the Land. You also ignored the fiscal impact of the creation of these Ministries. The 2017 and 2018 Budget figures give credence to this stance by the good people of Ghana.

Even with a casual look at Table 1 below, one cannot help but marvel at the unnecessary and over-bloated expenditure allocations to the Ministry of Special Initiatives as discussed below.

1. The Ministry of Special Initiative has created an expenditure item titled Internal Management of Organizations, that will cost the tax payer over 8 million new cedis (GHC 8,600,000), and another titled Local and International Affiliations that will cost the tax payer 2.5 million new cedis (GHC 2,500,000). These huge expenditure allocations to finance these specific activities when the Ministry is yet to properly roll out the implementation process of its initiatives.

2. Under item 2, 10 million new cedis (10,000,000) has been allocated for the purchase of 20 4WD vehicles. Is it prudent for a Ministry to have 20 4WD vehicles at its disposal? Furthermore, one wonders about the allocation of 0.8 million new cedis (GHC 8000,000) for the development of a website, which is more than the submitted cost of a 4WD vehicle (GHC 500,000).

3. Under item 4, 3 million new cedis (GHC 3,000,000) has been allocated for the Management and Monitoring of Policies, Programmes and Projects, and 1.5 million new cedis (GHC 1,500,000) for Policies and Programme Review Activities. Are the Policies and Programmes Review Activities not part of the Management and Monitoring of Policies, Programmes and Projects? Isn’t that a duplication?

Mr. President, what is there to show for the GHC 1,555,509 spent on capital expenditure in the 2017 budget?

Table 1: Over-bloated expenditure and duplication of expenditure items

Table 2 below, which is also part of the expenditure allocations for the Ministry of Special Initiatives suggests that the purpose for the $1 million per constitution policy initiative has outlived its usefulness. The VEEP made it clear to Ghanaians that the purpose of the initiative was to encourage a bottom-up approach to development by involving the constituents (grassroots) in the determination of their developmental needs. By the table below, the views and voices of the people are ignored in determining their priority projects

Table 2: Project expenditure for constituencies

Furthermore, for some of the items, the market prices are overstated. For instance, the current market price of an ambulance range between $18,000 and $40,000 (GHC 81,000)

• GHC 180,000, at an exchange rate of 4.5), but the unit price, as stated in the budget, is GHC 379,596.30. Are the procurement of new ambulances necessary when those ordered from the past just need some maintenance?

It is quite obvious from Table 2 that some constituencies may not benefit from some of the projects and there is no criteria to determine the distribution of the benefits. This can be very problematic.

Lastly, the list of projects in Table 2, portrays the duplication of work of traditional MDAs like the NDPC, MOH, MoF, etc. etc.

MERRY CHRISTMAS MR. PRESIDENT

By: Cassiel Ato Forson, MP

Ranking Member

Finance Committee

Parliament of Ghana

The post Protecting the public purse indeed [Article] appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

I looked up to two people as a young journalist – Christopher Opoku and Yaw Ampofo Ankrah. My love for the two was cemented during their perceptive coverage of Ghana’s first ever appearance at the FIFA World Cup in 2006.

I was a first-year student at the University of Ghana and had the privilege of listening to Chris on Asempa FM every morning when he took charge of their sports morning show. I could barely speak a word of Twi back then but still tuned in every morning because of Chris. It was almost as if he knew I was listening and for my sake, would sneak in more than a few lines of his impeccably carved English.

I could go on and on about how many more times I’d gone on to watch Chris on TV or listen to him on the radio. But that would take months to finish.

After I graduated from school and moved to Kumasi for my year of national service, I was also racking up internship hours at Kapital Radio’s sports department; working and learning from Listowell Yesu Bukarson, Nathaniel Abankwah (Natty Bongo) and Benjamin Yamoah.

While I got better at sports news writing and broadcasting, I never quite learned how to commentate. I consistently turned down opportunities to do commentary with flimsy excuses. I was afraid of performing so abysmally, I’d disappoint my bosses. I could speak fluent English; I just couldn’t figure out how to string words together to spontaneously describe the ongoing action.

It was a painfully harrowing experience. It was a fear I could never overcome up until I quit Kapital to focus on the teaching job I was offered after my national service.

Between 2011 and late 2013, I was out of the media. And in November 2013, I got an offer from Ultimate FM for a part-time job as a sports broadcaster. Most mornings, I would listen via TuneIn radio to Chris and his Power FM crew as they doled out some of the best sports discussions Ghana has ever seen.

Ultimate FM only ran short bulletins. There was no commentary show which meant my commentary weakness would not be exposed. I was partly relieved because my bosses were under the assumption that I was by default, a fantastic commentator. But deep down, I was insecure.

But not for long. Five months later, I had my date with commentary. It was May 2, 2014 at the Baba Yara Sports Stadium. The game between Great Olympics and Tema Youth was a crucial one with the winner guaranteed a return to the top flight of Ghana football for the 2014/15 season. On a hot Friday afternoon, I was not to miss a game of that significance.

I went to the stadium to watch the game and get a few post-match interviews after. Ten minutes before kick-off, Kwaku Ahenkorah, the venue media officer at the Baba Yara stadium came over to inform me Chris was on the other end of the line and wanted to speak to me. I was confused.

But then Chris asked my name and proceeded to ask how I was doing. Then he told me how his commentator had disappointed him by not coming to the stadium and then politely asked if I could run commentary for Power FM in Accra. My heart missed a beat; not only because my broadcast idol was asking for my help, but because I was ill-equipped to help.

I remember saying excitedly; “Yes, I’d love to”, before quickly adding, “I’ve never done commentary before.” The conversation that followed was similar in tone if not in style to General Dwight D. Eisenhower’s speech when he ordered the Normandy Invasion in 1944. And I needed that speech because running commentary was a battle I was often too afraid to fight. I needed a General to lead me into battle. Chris was that General.

“Do you speak English?” was the next question he asked me when I told him I had never done commentary prior. “Fluently, sir,” I responded. “Do you believe you can do it?” He asked again. “I don’t know sir, I’ve never done it before,” I retorted. “I said do you believe you can do it?” Christ pressed on. “I will try, sir,” I responded. “I don’t want you to try. I want you to tell me you can do it,” Christ hit back, with his voice rising in tone. “Ok sir, I can do it,” I replied, out of abdication rather than in real belief of the words I uttered.

Then Chris hung up the call and told me to get ready in the next five minutes and expect a call from the studio soon after. I hurriedly got a team sheet, found myself a nice spot, and waited for the call. When the call came, it was Henry Asante Twum, another broadcaster I had only watched on TV and admired from afar. He introduced me as “Pentuo Tahiru”. I heard him say my name wrong but I was so nervous I missed out on the chance to correct him.

This was just so difficult on so many levels. Not only had I never done commentary before, I had not watched Olympics or Tema Youth all season, and didn’t know any of their players. But somehow Chris made me believe I was capable. In the opening 30 minutes of the game, I swore I was merely putting English words together, barely running any half decent commentary.

At halftime, I was expecting Chris to call and destroy me for a poor job done, or that better still he had found his commentator and would be more than happy to dispose of the garbage commentator that I thought I was. But no. He called alright, but to tell me I was doing a decent job; told me to slow down a bit; only describe what I see and move the phone away from my mouth because it was giving bad feedback.

By the beginning of the second half, the Power FM commentator had arrived and he only acted as a summarizer as I completed my first 90 minutes of commentary in what was a very controversial game which Olympics won 2-1 while Tema Youth threatened to abandon the game over poor refereeing decisions by referee Joseph Lamptey.

After that game, my commentary fears were conquered. I’ve since gone on to run commentary for all sorts of matches – from Ghana Premier League games to La Liga matches and everything in between. When I attempted my first tennis commentary, I was not afraid. When I did my first basketball commentary, I was not afraid. When I did my first squash commentary, I wasn’t afraid. And because of Chris, when I attempt my first rugby or cricket or boxing commentary, I know I will not be afraid. Every time I turn on the microphone to run commentary, I’m on a path to make Chris proud.

Chris believed in me so much to offer me a writing role at his website footy-ghana.com. If there’s one thing I learned writing for footy-ghana.com, it’s “accuracy over speed”. Chris always emphasized the need to be accurate with reports instead of rushing to be the first to break a story that would later turn out to be false. That compromises your integrity, he always said. And Chris never compromised.

Of the new generation of sports journalists, not many have had the privilege of personally working with this great man. I did and I’m truly honoured by that. Everything he stood for – truth, honour, integrity, accuracy without fear or favour – the best way to truly honour his absence is to stand for these things.

Chris spent his last years as a journalist in the Citi FM newsroom. I’m honoured to be working at the same place he once did. I feel sad that I did not come in early enough to work closely with you.

I will miss your counsel; your sense of humour; your wisdom and above all, your kindness. You will never be forgotten, Chris.

Happy Birthday, Christopher Colombus! Continue to rest in peace!

–

By: Fentuo Tahiru/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post Fentuo writes: How Christopher Opoku brought out the commentator in me appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

As humans, we are limited in our abilities. It is only natural and proper that we pray and seek the face of the Lord concerning every endeavour including presidential ambitions. God is not disinterested in politics. Before candidates move ahead, it is important to seek the Almighty’s guidance. Campaigns are brutal and they can be one of the most tasking things anyone can do. If rumours making the rounds are anything to go by, politics can be a huge spiritual battleground, and we all know when it comes to spiritual matters; some Africans don’t play. Seeking strength, protection and direction from the Lord would be an important first step.

Seek the consent of your spouse, family and trusted confidants

Politics imposes serious burdens on not just the candidate but their families especially the spouse. Candidates will need the support of their spouses and family. They will also have to bare the effects of the gruelling campaign schedule, long period of absence from home and media scrutiny. In addition, they may have to get on the campaign trail at some point. Sincerely seeking their consent is pivotal. It’s also a good idea to do a quick check in with long trusted close friends and not just the political operatives or men and women hanging around the candidate. One of the main reasons Hillary Clinton did not run for president in 2004 was because her daughter Chelsea was against it. Similar stories can be told of the role of plain speaking trusted friends and family in the political careers of Barack Obama and Chris Christie. John Mahama confessed his daughter was happy he lost the 2016 elections. Hopefully, he has her approval, should he decide to put himself up for 2020.

Gut check & Purpose

There are several reasons why people may run for president but the national interest should override. Politicians may always cite national interest as the main reason for running but, candidates must engage in internal reflection and soul searching regarding the real motives for running. At the moment, many believe John Mahama may be running to possibly make up and ‘save face’ from the 2016 electoral defeat. A candidate in his position has to convince Ghanaians to vote for him beyond sentimental reasons. Here are some question candidates should be asking themselves: what is the one big contribution I hope to make to national life? What is the one big change I hope to make? What is the major transformational vision, the one big idea you genuinely hope to achieve beyond pro forma laundry lists? As David Axelrod once said “authenticity is the leading indicator in presidential elections…” If voters smell phony motives, your campaign is already off to a rocky start. Elections are not just about candidates, they are good opportunities to assess what the country appraise the health of the nation and consider what substantive, era-defining and awe-inspiring contributions a candidate can make.  In other words, what is your one big game changer?

Situational Analysis

Political campaigns can and should be guided by systematic research. Potential candidates must commission professional consultants—beyond their campaign staff—to conduct external research to consolidate their own data. The most successful campaigns are often executed with reference to both internal and independent research.

A good starting point is to conduct a situational analysis of the candidate from multiple perspectives and models.  This situational analysis often includes a SWOT analysis but candidates should really move beyond the boardroom and partisan campaign room analysis to third-party investigations and field research. The campaign team should be able to determine the mood of the nation and how receptive voters would be to their candidate. Research would accomplish several tasks including determining the popularity of your candidate, voting trends and political socialization variables. Basically, aspirants should be ready to commission professional researchers to conduct extensive research using pre-campaign techniques and guided by rounded concepts that will guide the campaign. Crucially too, the campaign will have to engage consultants gifted with the skills of political framing to help translate data into campaign narratives and persuasive messages.

Selecting your team

Candidates may be running the show but the people around the aspirants could make or break them. As the primary season heats up, one of the first things candidates should be concerned about is the kind of people they recruit.  Having the right calibre of persons with the right motives and the right skills and abilities would have a telling effect on the campaign. Party bootlickers, sycophants and blinded loyalists should be avoided. Candidates should make strenuous efforts to choose qualified, committed and sharp political hands able to tap into the character, qualities and positions of the candidate in an efficient way.

Health

No matter how capable or how willing one is, bad health is likely to affect the campaign negatively. We all pray for good health. Candidates should examine their health situation to make sure they’re not putting themselves at risk or they are all clear from the doctor before embarking on this gruelling task. In other democracies, voters sometimes demand to see the health records of candidates. Clearly, assessing your health situation is a necessary first step.

What are your views? What do you think? Should bad health necessarily prevent you from running? Should you stop running for president if your family or spouse disagrees? What other factors should candidates be considering before running for president. What should candidates, particularly from the NDC side, be considering as they prepare for party primaries? Please add your voice!

–

By Etse Sikanku

The post 6 steps to consider before running for president or political office [Article] appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

It’s not a joke. I feel Danish. Truly.

I love to be honest.

I love to be respectful.

I love to be responsible.

I love to be…. . I actually got stuck.

By the time I had to leave Denmark, briefly, hopefully, I knew it was a place God chose for me. How did I find myself there?

Long before I completed Presec- Legon, I knew I wanted to study abroad after completing my Bachelor’s degree in Ghana. My first shot at travelling abroad was my participation in the Challenge Educational Reality TV Show organized by Charter House in collaboration with the British Council. I knew it was my season to win. My favourite number then was 5, and it was the fifth season of the show. Listen, I had prepared some five years ago while in Presbyterian Boys’ Secondary School and the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) to participate and win, so it was my season. Further studies, not National Service, was my agenda after my Bachelors in 2013.

But just like Spio-Gabrah who in 2006 thought it was his time but lost to Professor Mills, I did not lose anyway, but I did not win either. From some thousands of applications received to the final 30 whose season it was, after aptitude tests, interviews and projects, I was there. I thought I had prepared enough but can you imagine I was so serious about travelling abroad but did not realize the seriousness of first having a passport. Before it dawned on me, Jack, it was late. And you know how we do it over here when that man assures you of your passport in less than 48 hours. Bad gamble, bad debt, taking over. An amount that could provide express processing of passport for three individuals did not even prove to be an impetus capable of securing my passport even long after the processing time for normal applications. I picked up my passport after National Service. Lesson learnt, I cannot twist God’s hands.

While carrying out my National Service as a Research and Teaching Assistant, one of my professors passed by my office and remarked, ‘You this boy, before you leave this office, you will know all the universities in the world’. Thank you Doctor Abugre. He most probably noted my aggression to pursue further studies. Indeed, I gained admission to all my choicest schools in UK but the 100% scholarship was just not coming.

One day while having a chat with my friend and former research and teaching assistant, he shared with me, a screenshot of a scholarship opportunity he saw on the website of KNUST. A few days after, another good friend referred me to the same scholarship. Did I mind them? Where is Denmark? And what am I doing there? I CARED LESS. DID NOT APPLY. CONTINUED WITH MY UK SCHOLARSHIP PURSUIT.

But thank God for friends who never get tired of bringing out the best in their loved ones. Eventually, I put in an application about two weeks to the deadline and not until it appeared I was disrespecting them by refusing to apply.

I waited patiently for the outcomes of my UK applications. Guess what. Yes, offer of admissions, no, offer of scholarships. I was sad. So sad. I said God, ‘do I stay home for another year?’ It was already a year after national service. My sister encouraged me, ‘just pray, God is able, a scholarship will come from where you least expect it’. Indeed we were in the period of Lent, 40 days fasting, Prince of Peace Presbyterian Church, Easter was in the corner. It was a spiritual season and everything was possible. My sister shared with me a testimony of a young man from the Synagogue Church who received scholarship, she also encouraged me to pray with the Anointing water from TB Joshua’s Church, at Greenwich Meridian, I drank a 500ml of mineral water prayed over by Rev TV Obuobi, after I had spoken my desires over the water. It was an atmosphere of the Supernatural for me. I knew I did my part and God had to do His. I had the good grades, graduating as the second best student in my college from KNUST, diligent with my applications, beautifully written motivational letters, ‘charley’, I believed I had fulfilled my part of the agreement. It was left to God.

And Hallelujah. Listen, two days after I sobbed before my sister about my failures and her encouragement to pray and trust God, I received this email which read;

‘Aarhus University is pleased to inform you that the DANIDA organization has informed us that they have nominated you for a Building Stronger Universities (BSU) scholarship at our university’.

Ha, err, what? DANIDA I could recall from childhood because my friend Derrick’s dad worked with them. But Aarhus…. Where is that? I asked Google. It said a city in Denmark. I wondered.

Did I apply? God, please let this not be ‘fake news’, spam, and scam. I prostrated on the floor of the balcony nonetheless, singing ‘Ngino Jesu’ by Joyous Celebration. There was no reason to doubt the email and its contents. Danida was to follow up with practical information, and the email was detailed and well-written.

That was how I landed in Denmark. To be continued………….

So I arrived in Denmark. Yes. I do not remember what my initial impressions were about Denmark. I was too ready and too prepared to travel abroad. Nonetheless, the Danish people and their way of life created an impression on me while I was in Ghana. I was amazed at how efficient my application and preparation to travel was. I received documents when I had to. A bank account was opened for me even before I received my visa. Never mind I cancelled my trip on two occasions because I did not receive my visa as early as anticipated. And I was angry when it was 5:20 pm, and my flight was yet to call passengers, though departure was in the next ten minutes. I was ready paaa oooo.

To make my story easy to follow, I will break my experiences into plots and conclude with a summary of who I perceive Danes to be.

SCHOOL LIFE

Studying in Denmark is no joke. It is hard work if you want to excel and stand out. During my first lecture, I just couldn’t keep up with the use of MS Excel for calculations. I pushed my PC aside, pulled out my exercise book and calculator and solved the problems like we do here, the hard way. But I soon discovered it would not be helpful and efficient if I had to deal with large data sets.

What did I find amazing about my lecturers? Each one of them had a story to tell, a research finding to share about their contribution to the development of the Danish society. Brian talked about how his research and that of his colleagues influenced underground water and drinking water. In Denmark, I saw my professors filling their bottles with water from the sink in the toilet or kitchen for drinking. No plenty troubles with pure water sachets and bottled mineral water. In effect, the water from your bathroom sink is as clean and healthy as what is packed into a plastic bottle. Hanne talked about her research with pigs, improved feeding, health and animal welfare. Pork/bacon is most probably the cheapest meat and Danes are known for quality pig production. If Danish pig farmers decide to quit pig production and share their pigs amongst Danes, every citizen could receive three pigs.

For agriculture as a whole, Denmark produces nearly 3 times more than her population can consume. They are self-sufficient for most of the foods they consume. Ask me what they do with the rest? Do we import them? They are about 5 million. We are 25 million, with nearly 50% into farming. ‘Shi still, anye? Ma ba? Nukae dzↄ? Me nini? Aden? Pour quoi? Why?

Just to crown off school life, studying in Denmark is fine, fun and beautiful. Resources at my disposal, office space, laboratories, vehicles, just about everything to make my work successful. And it happened. During the writing of my Master thesis, everyone showed interest in what I was doing, anxious to see what my findings would be. They looked forward to results that potentially will improve our way of doing something. My success was good news for society. It appeared everyone was ready to see you succeed. So they were ready to help whichever way, however. It wasn’t difficult for my supervisor to agree to have me work with her, committing over GHS 10,000 to my research. By now you know education in Denmark is free up to PhD level. Danish bachelor and masters students receive a monthly stipend of about GHS 3000 from the government. What a wow.

SOCIAL LIFE

‘If I drank beer, I would have had lots of Danish friends’. But I have lots of Danish friends anyway. Friends who could drive me to school, invite me for tea or dinner, invite me home for Christmas. I considered myself blessed.

Danes do not open up to people easily. They find it rude, somewhat, to appear to be intrusive and inquisitive and ‘paddy paddy’ when they barely know you. They are however helpful when you approach them and ask for help. Do not be surprised if after drinking, chatting and laughing out loud with a Dane the previous night, he sees you the following morning in the elevator, or in the classroom and does not say hello, or does not seem to remember you or appears unenthused about a friendship you thought you had started. Sorry folks, some things take time. After six or seven times, hey, you will be invited, you will feel the warmth, and you’d ‘hygge’. Get a Dane to explain that. Yea.

Are Danes racist?

While on the bus to school one day, I saw an old woman walking quickly to the bus stop upon seeing the bus. The bus was about two minutes late already, because we stopped for a moving train. Unfortunately, this old woman was not at the bus stop before the bus got there and it would have taken less than 30 steps and 30 seconds for her to catch up. The bus driver didn’t stop. He was late anyway, and the old woman was not early enough even though the bus delayed. But for the brief stop for the moving train, she would have missed the bus anyway. I was furious the driver did not stop. My friend from Tanzania turned and looked at me and said, ‘if ever this happens to you, with what you just witnessed, just be fine and know the driver isn’t racist’. I smiled and got the message.

I get so amazed when a Dane approaches me and starts speaking Danish. Hello….. Do I look Danish?

Perhaps I feel Danish. So you see, when a Dane looks at you, your skin colour doesn’t tell them anything, but just your skin colour.

NATURE AND ENVIRONMENT

Danes respect nature, they love green grasses, they love animals. Laws are strict on what houses and spacing must be provided for farm animals. Thanks to the European Union Common Agricultural Policy, Water Directive and the Habitat Directive. The grasses are maintained, farmers are paid to do that. The waters have and are achieving good ecological and chemical status. The birds, the butterflies, the ants, they are all safe. If there are any people taking good care of God’s creation, the Danes are, and they are enjoying their blessing and the fruit of their labour.

While plastic waste is a menace here, what I considered a menace there were the pieces of cigars left on pavements. But those are biodegradable. So ‘forgerit’. In Denmark, waste is wealth. Talk about biogas digesters, nutrient recycling in farms. These appear scientific. Let me tell you the fanciful ones. Like sending plastic bottles to the supermarket and collecting money for the bottles. Richard Branson explained it as a Deposit Refund System (DRS) which is an established and effective solution that captures and collects almost 100% of plastic bottles in the recycling economy, ensuring they never enter the environment. Do we not need this here? Why shouldn’t people pay in order to have the mess they create cleaned, if they will not clean them all by themselves? Thanks to Valeriane, we made some GHS 200 from picking bottles within 30 minutes after an awards show over there. It was fun. But we did it to send a message to some young global talents who gathered to solve some global challenges and promote sustainable development, but ended up creating waste. Shame! Seeing that I had to pay for a bag to carry stuffs bought from the supermarket, I always kept a shopping bag in my school bag. Over here, let the trader refuse to give you free polythene bag, you will vex. There are a lot of good and positive stuffs to learn from the Danes. The Queen must share some of these during her visit. Stay tuned……….

Feeling Danish?

Danes live in a functional society. For them, life is good when everyone has a good standard of living. Access to education, healthcare, any other public services, nature, food, shelter and clothing. Every Dane must have the opportunity to live and be what they want to be, of course within what society accepts. Even if it is not acceptable, they may want to study and find out if it is something acceptable in the near future. Then they work towards it.

No plenty V8, no plenty big houses, no plenty big dressing, no plenty titles (I really struggled in my first few weeks calling my professors by their first names. What! Tommy, Chris, just like that.) Simply put, Danes are simple. I couldn’t tell a rich man from a poor man. Danes do not have a lofty appetite for material things. The V8s I saw (less than 6 in two years compared with 20 in two hours sitting and counting from my balcony in Sakumono), were used at the harbour to tow light-weight containers, some had some equipment fixed in them either for plumbing or some other real job. Most had the yellow or yellow and white number plate. So they were not luxury cars bought, and driven within 32km every day at the expense of the taxpayer. Elizabeth, a colleague student rides a bicycle during the summer and other good seasons, and runs for safety from the cold winter in her eco-smart tiny car. They think functionality and not prestige.

Danes are rich yet economical. Students like most professors, come to class with their fingers of banana, apples, apple-pears, bread, coffee or tea and water bottles. Nicholas told me, ‘Eugene, I do not know, but I just love cheap stuff’. Yea, what is there to care about in a country so strict with their standards on quality? Elizabeth saw me holding lots of bananas and she exclaimed, ‘were they cheap?!’ I said 2 kroner for a finger. And she said, ‘you could actually get a finger for 1 kroner every Thursday at Rhema 1000’. Thank you Elizabeth. Since then, I purchased bananas only on Thursdays at that supermarket.

Danes are industrious. How 5 million people own global brands like Maersk, Lego, Arla, Bang and Olufsen, Grondfus, Ecco, Danish Crown, Carlsberg, Ceres Brewery, DSB, Hummel, Novozymes, Novo Nordisk, Georg Jensen- all of these, brands I have experienced, is simply amazing. They make every effort to solve all of their problems with all of their effort and ability. The result, great problem-solving and money-making brands.

Danes take up responsibility. If it is her work, she gets it done. She wouldn’t want to inconvenience anybody. The bus driver will be at the bus stop at the stated time. She wouldn’t want to be responsible for causing you to miss your flight or playing a role in your lateness for an appointment. She knows you could incur extra cost, you could miss opportunities and have a bad time. She is not part of that and so she does her work diligently.

The Danish society is a progressive society. It will not be, if a problem exists for more than a decade. Even a decade is too much of a grace period. Where would the researchers have been? How? They prioritize research and development. The Department of Agroecology of Aarhus University where I studied was responsible for providing research-based policy advice to the Danish Ministry of Environment and Food. In effect, policies and laws are informed by scientifically verifiable evidence. So you see good and positive results from the laws.

Over here, the same ‘keysoap’ your forefathers used is what is still available on the market. No improvement. Ghana Water Company up till date has not found smart water treatment strategies to deploy in homes, schools and offices and some businesses find sachet water as an ingenious solution to problems of potable drinking water. The result, pure water rubber everywhere. Are we a progressive Country?

Over here, contractors build roads without shoulders or pedestrian walkways. Impatient drivers insult other road users whom they consider ‘nuisance’.

It was safe there, to drive on roads and not find heavy containers towering over you if you drove in a small car. Heavy containers are moved by the rail system.

It was amazing seeing that I could adjust my writing and working desk to any height while working so I do not maintain the same posture for long, which could lead to health hazards.

It was beautiful to go to the beach, drive along the roads and find clean washrooms around. Many, free to use. Others, self-serviceable with a drop of a coin through the door.

It was beautiful and amazing to find that the price of fruits and vegetables and many food items in the supermarket remained the same for two years. The discounts were so needed, too frequent, too good, but yet so true and genuine.

Forget their cold-spirit, sometimes it helps. Like Prof Mills said, ‘dzi wo fie asem’. But be helpful.

That is Danish

Take me to Denmark, I am Ghanaian and I feel Danish. I miss Aarhus, I miss Slagelse, I miss Viborg. I miss rye bread, I miss carrot cake, I miss coffee (it’s nice when drank in the cold in Denmark), I miss cream potatoes, I miss cheesy stuff, I miss fresh milk, I miss the farm fields, the grasses, the dogs, I miss the beautiful church buildings, I miss the evening life, I miss the hygge (did I really have some?), I miss riding bicycle and running, I miss hi hi, I miss the side-cheek smiles, I miss the people, I miss the attitude. Take me to Denmark, I am Ghanaian and I feel Danish. Tak.

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By: Dela Eugene Setsoafia/[email protected]

The post Take me to Denmark; I am Ghanaian but I feel Danish appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

It is, however, curious that a figure that was supposedly estimated at around the year 2000 would remain impervious to demographic changes and ensuing developments in the housing sector.

In fact, the lapse of time alone should cause us to legitimately question the continuous references to the 1.7 million housing deficit figure in public and academic discourse. In this article, I seek to draw the attention of stakeholders in the housing sector to the obvious inaccuracies inherent in the housing deficit estimates including fundamental misstatement of facts.

I must stress that this article is not seeking to downplay the seriousness of the housing crisis the country faces. Rather, it is seeking to properly situate the challenges in the housing sector in the light of publicly available data on the deficit. This clarification is important for the following reasons. First, public discourse on matters of national interest must not be based on incorrect statement of facts especially where such facts are easily verifiable.

Second, in situations where the public’s perception of the severity of a problem is shaped by inaccurate facts, policy responses by the government might be viewed with skepticism and face credibility deficit. Third and more importantly, there is a real possibility for such inaccurate facts to distort the judgment of policy makers is designing policies to solve the problem.

A good starting point is to examine the source of the 1.7 million deficit figure, the 2000 Housing Profile report. This report estimated the housing deficit at 1.7 million rooms as at the year 2000. Note the use of the word “rooms” instead of “units”, which is often quoted in the press and other publications. The difference between the two words should be apparent.

The Ghana Statistical Service defines a dwelling unit as “a specific area or space occupied by a particular household”.  Such a space or area may be comprised of one or several rooms. In effect, rooms make up a dwelling unit and the two terms cannot simply be treated as synonyms. Using dwelling units in estimating housing needs or deficit can be misleading unless one specifies the composition of the unit in question and it is to avoid this confusion that the Housing Profiles used rooms as the basis for estimating the deficit rather than units.

To illustrate, assuming each dwelling unit comprises of two bedrooms and we estimate a deficit of say 1 million rooms, then expressing this in units will result in 500,000 units. Thus, even if we were to take the 2000 estimate of the housing deficit as still applicable in 2017, we should be talking about 1.7 million rooms and not 1.7 million units unless we make the unrealistic assumption that each housing unit should comprise of one room.

As a matter of fact, given the national average household size of about 4 persons and an occupancy threshold of two persons per room as stipulated in the Zoning and Planning Standards (2011), two to three-bedroom units would seem to be the more appropriate housing unit sizes. Consequently, the housing deficit as at 2000 should be no more than 850,000 units if we assume that housing units should comprise of two bedrooms, on average.

Besides the inadvertent misrepresentation of the 2000 housing deficit estimates, changes in the number of households and increases in the housing stock arising from construction of new houses should render the 1.7million deficit figure outdated. Note that a deficit is only an indication that demand for housing exceeds supply and so long as both demand and supply are not static, we should expect the deficit figure to change overtime.

An examination of the fundamental drivers of demand (household formation) and supply (housing stock) for the years 2000 and 2010 show that there have been substantial changes over the period. Thus, it is possible that the deficit may have worsened or improved since 2000. Fortunately, the 2010 housing profile has provided a more recent estimate of the deficit figure and one would expect stakeholders to, at the very least, be more interested in this than the 2000 estimate.

Furthermore, the national housing policy, which is supposed to be the guiding document on all discussions relating to the housing situation in the country, uses the figures from the 2010 Housing Profile to ground the policy framework. It is therefore very surprising that in spite of these more recent and readily available estimates on the housing deficit, stakeholders continue to rely on the outdated 1.7 million figure in public discourse.

Even though the 2010 estimates can also be regarded as stale, it is still worthwhile to highlight the deficit numbers reported by the Housing Profile. According to the UN-HABITAT commissioned report, the country had a total housing deficit of 2.5 million rooms implying a worsening of the deficit by about 47% since the earlier estimate in 2000. This fact should not come as a surprise to anyone who follows developments in the housing sector as there has not been a significant shift in the fundamental economic drivers or policy stance on housing over the past two decades. It is important to stress that inasmuch as the worsening of the housing deficit is alarming and requires urgent attention, it is inappropriate to misquote or exaggerate albeit unwittingly in order to draw attention.

To be clear, there is no need for any such exaggeration, as the problems in the housing sector are evident to even casual observers. Using an average unit size of two bedrooms would imply a deficit of about 1.25 million units as at 2010. There are good reasons to expect the deficit to have worsened since 2010. However, using the 2010 figure and a modest price of $20,000 for a two bedroom house brings the total sum required to clear the deficit to about $25 billion. This represents approximately 60% of the nation’s current Gross Domestic Product and highlights the urgent need for the government to develop a system that incentivizes increased investments in housing over the next several decades.

Even though the 2010 deficit estimate is more recent, it did not have the benefit of the2010 Population and Housing Census as the Housing Profile was completed before the release of the census report. The Housing Profile relied mainly on population projections based on past census reports. A careful analysis of the projected number of households, which is the key determinant of housing demand, shows that it missed the actual number of households by about 20%.

An even larger discrepancy can be expected in any estimate of the housing stock given the sheer lack of data on the numbers and nature of the houses produced through informal channels. Incidentally, it is through the informal channels, which are characterized by a lack of access to any improved infrastructure, noncompliance with building and planning standards, and tenure insecurity that the vast majority of houses are produced in Ghana.

The foregoing observations suggest a need for a comprehensive study on the state of the demand and supply sides of the housing market in Ghana. This is particularly required for the major urban areas where the housing problem may be getting to a crisis level. The effective implementation of the new property addressing system government has introduced should provide an opportunity to collect data on the housing stock on a continuous basis while census data either actual or projected should allow us to estimate the demand for housing.

It is vital that policies and solutions designed to solve social problems such as lack of housing are grounded on accurate and relevant data. Besides, the data must allow for disaggregation into different aspects of the problem to enable policymakers to properly target solutions. It is not very helpful from a policy standpoint to simply state the total number of the supply deficit without specifying the exact nature of the need. For instance, housing need has different facets and any attempt at estimating it must clearly specify the kind of need of interest. These might include needs arising out of the following:

• Lack of own secure tenure, which includes the homeless, households with insecure tenures and unaffordable accommodation.
• Mismatch/unsuitable housing, encompassing overcrowding, sharing of basic amenities and under-utilization of housing (i.e. households occupying excessively large houses than required).
• Poor housing condition, including those lacking basic amenities such as kitchen, bath, toilets etc.
• Lack of social housing for vulnerable groups such as persons with disabilities and the aged.

A housing need assessment that quantifies the needs arising out of each of these would be invaluable to policymakers and other stakeholders in the housing sector as we seek a lasting solution to the housing crisis the country faces.

An important dimension that has largely been absent in the discussions on the deficit is the extent to which the unmet demand is effective. In other words, even if we settled on the exact number of the housing deficit, it would still be important to get a sense of how many units can be absorbed by the market by giving due consideration to issues of affordability and purchasing power.

This is particularly relevant for the real estate development industry whose major interest is in providing units that would be purchased in a timely manner. It would not make economic sense to build houses in response to demand that is not backed by purchasing power. It is in this regard that urgent attention is required in developing a sustainable formal housing finance system that can deliver affordable finance to households across the different spectrum of incomes.

A related issue is the non-segmentation of the housing market in discussing the deficit. There is no doubt that Ghana faces challenges in the supply of affordable and decent houses for the middle and lower income segments of the market. However, same cannot be said of the high-income segment of the market. Anecdotal evidence points to the fact that supply in the upper-income segment is adequate and there are even fears of possible oversupply.

Housing remains central in every effort at improving the socioeconomic wellbeing of the Ghanaian and stakeholders in the housing sector must fully understand the extent of the problems the nation faces in providing decent and affordable housing for all.  This requires an up to date, reliable and accurate data on the housing need. The current situation where even basic facts such as the housing deficit are questionable does not inspire a lot confidence in our ability to solve this problem.

By: Dr. Frank Gyamfi-Yeboah

[email protected]

Senior Lecturer, Department of Land Economy

KNUST, Kumasi

The post The 1.7 million units housing deficit: Myth or reality? [Article] appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

Ghana’s Black Starlets have arrived home after their FIFA U-17 World Cup outing which saw them fall out at the quarterfinals to familiar rivals and African champions Mali.

Contrary to popular opinion, I feel there are a lot of positives to take away from this tournament.

It is usually difficult to demand the ultimate prize at this stage of football because it is mostly about development and experience gained rather than ultimate success.

I am not saying the spirit of winning should not be instilled in our players but I believe it’s too early to set such high targets for the team.

I saw the Starlets at the U-17 Africa Cup of Nations earlier this year and I must say I saw a vast improvement not only in their game-play but also in the body language and general approach.

The team began the African Championships in blistering fashion scoring 9 goals and conceding none in their opening two games and then went on a scoreless run until the end of the tournament where they were beaten 1-0 by Mali in the final.

On the contrary, in terms of performance, the team recovered from a rusty but fairly comfortable start against Colombia and looked more comfortable against USA; a game Ghana should have won but for wasteful finishing, and then to two very comfortable wins against India and Niger.

My only disappointment in the team is in the manner in which we were beaten against Mali. The defeat was the team’s third straight loss against their West African rivals in 2017 and one would think the familiarity with the opponents would have inspired a better performance but it was not to be.

The Starlets looked defeated from the blast of the whistle and the Malians looked clearly fitter and mentally more prepared and psyched for the occasion.

Frankly speaking, it was clear the horrible conditions on the day affected the Starlets, but that’s no excuse for their abysmal performance as the Malians also had to endure the same conditions.

The entire team (maybe except Sulley Ibrahim) looked afraid of their opponents who took advantage and bossed proceedings. There is absolutely no doubt that this team possesses some extremely gifted individuals, but the reality is that, strong mental attributes are what differentiates top players from the rest.

The team needs to believe in their abilities and trust that they can overcome any opposition. That’s the kind of mindset Ghanaians want and such a mindset will always translate to the performances on the pitch.

Over the years, it has been evident that youth football is a major contributor to senior level football. A quality youth system will almost certainly have a strong impact on the senior team.

The resurgence of Barcelona under Pep Guardiola was built on a core group of players who were brought through the club’s youth system, La Masia.

Players like Lionel Messi, Andres Iniesta, Xavi and Gerard Pique are all products of La Masia and had the club’s philosophy and identity drilled in them throughout their formative years as footballers.

On the international side, Germany’s 2014 World Cup winning side was a result of the country’s reformed youth policy after their unsuccessful Euro 2004 campaign where they fell out in the group stages.

We need to fix our football systems in our country if we want to succeed.

The leaders must have a clear plan on the way forward while having the Black Stars in mind and the first thing is to fix the league.

The visionless, unattractive Ghana Premier League only causes a host of the country’s top talents to seek greener pastures abroad. Many may not see how this affects the national team but all the footballing giants of the world have the core of their team playing in their home leagues.

When you play week in and week out with and against the same group of individuals, it only improves familiarity and cohesion between the group. That way when they are sent to play in the national team, it shows in their output.

If we can get our league functioning at the highest level, it will help in persuading our young players to stay home and fully develop before they are fed into the senior team.

Secondly, we need to have a clear and well-structured system of transition. I must commend Paa Kwesi Fabin for his amazing work with this team.

His thorough scouting and grooming has resulted in the unearthing of these fine talents we saw at the tournament. It’s very difficult to find talent in a country where the youth systems are almost dead.

Take England for example. The Head Coach of their U-17 team Steve Cooper had the luxury of falling on the likes of Manchester United, Manchester City, Chelsea and Liverpool for personnel for his team at the same tournament that Ghana was participating in.

So credit must go to Fabin for his exceptional work as Starlets boss. I think he should be given the job on a long term basis and the responsibility of finding talents must be placed in his hands.

Not just him but the various youth teams should be assigned to a specific coach and they should be tasked with grooming these players for future use.

The same players who pass through the U-17 should be taken through the U-20 and finally the Black Stars. This will save the Black Stars head coach a lot of work because he would have seen these players develop over the years through the youth systems and would know them through and through.

Let me end with a perfect example currently biting us in the back.

The current core of the Egyptian national team that beat the Black Stars to qualify for their first World Cup in 27 years is a product of their 2011 U-17 World Cup squad. This is a testimony of a working structure and a proper system of transition.

I, for one, am hoping and praying that a majority of these players feature for the Black Satellites and the Black Stars in the coming years.

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By: Daniel Koranteng/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post Koranteng writes: What’s the next step for the Black Starlets? appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

Mr. Amidu, a former Attorney General in his latest epistle chastised Ablakwa for supposedly attacking him in an article titled “Martin Amidu’s ‘Hate Agenda,” which sought to take him on over some comments he made against former president John Mahama who was an international observer during the Kenyan election which was subsequently annulled by that country’s Supreme Court.

[contextly_sidebar id=”mEPoIhUoKEeYKcbdF7hMPnLKgsoFd3KS”]The former Attorney General did not mince words at all in taking Ablakwa to the cleaners in his five-paged publication.

“I was astounded to read a feature article by dishonourable Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa entitled ‘Martin Amidu’s ‘Hate Agenda’ …on 5th September 2017 in which he opens with his conduct of restraining himself from commenting on my deliberate attacks on the former President and the NDC because of his respect for elders in the NDC and the party in general.”

“Okudzeto Ablakwa is the person whom while claiming to be entitled to the title Honourable Deputy Minister at age 28 years without having done any public service in his life has made himself notorious for insulting everybody old enough to be his father and other elders including former President Rawlings and former President Kufuor. But Okudzeto Ablakwa chose to give the impression in his feature article devoted to insulting me with reckless abandon that he respects elders, at least in the NDC, and excuses his attacks on me for exercising my right to free speech in congratulating the Kenyan Supreme Court for the Court’s decision annulling the 8th August 2017 elections on the flimsy ground that I had attacked ‘the former President’ whom I believe is supposedly dumb figuratively and therefore unable to speak for himself,” he added in the article.

But in his response, Mr. Ablakwa said “I state for the record and in true conscience before God and man that I have authored no article on Hon. Martin A.B.K. Amidu.”

“I have taken the effort to Google search the said article which I am accused of writing and found the article: ‘Martin Amidu’s ‘Hate Agenda’…’ rather published in the name of Ohenenana Obonti Krow on ghananewsonline.com.gh dated September 4, 2017,” Mr. Ablakwa said in a statement.

Meanwhile, citifmonline.com’s checks show that ghananewsonline.com.gh did publish the said article, titled “Martin Amidu’s “Hate Agenda”—His Outstanding Disrespect For Mahama, The NDC And The Judiciary Is Astounding” on September 4, 2017 with Ohenenana Obonti Krow being the author.

Modernghana.com on the other hand,  posted the same article the following day, September 5, 2017, with the author’s name being Andrews Krow.

Checks by citifmonline.com however appears to suggest that the article in question was written by one individual with two different first and middle names, but the same last name.

Sources at modernghana.com also told citifmonline.com that, they have not published any article from the North Tongu MP, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa.

They however said the writer of the article which appeared on their website is a supporter of the NDC and a known columnist on their website.

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By: citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post I’ve not attacked Amidu in any article – Ablakwa appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

On page 3, the 4^th paragraph, he stated that, “Mr. Speaker, to give a fair account of the state of our nation, I have to give an account of the state of our economy, of our governance and of our national culture and attitudes”.

Then at the tail end of his speech, he urged all the members of the three arms of government to lead the charge of change in behaviours in the areas of punctuality, sanitation and care for the environment. After addressing the issue of punctuality he said, “I intend to set a personal example”.

I commend him for these statements. But remember that former president Kuffour went a step further and renamed the Ministry of Information as the Ministry of Information and National Reorientation.

The late vice president AliuMahamaalso embarked on a campaign against indiscipline. What will differentiate President AkufoAddo from former presidents in this regard is what he does beyond the speech and setting of a personal example.

In this article, I want to share with you what Lee Kwan Yew did beyond speeches and personal example. I’ll share with you two national behavioural change programs that he embarked on, how he implemented these programs and the results and lessons we can distill from them. I draw these examples from Chapter 13 of his book titled “From Third World to First: The Singapore Story: 1965-2000. The first program he wrote about is what he calls the anti-spitting campaign.

“I had introduced anti-spitting campaigns in the 1960s. But even in the 1980s, some taxi drivers would spit out of their car windows and some people were still spitting in markets and food centres. We persisted and disseminated the message through schools and the media that spitting spread diseases such as tuberculosis. Now people seldom see spitting in public…This progress encouraged me to alter other bad habits”.

Take note that the campaign was spearheaded by the prime minister. Though he introduced it, the implementation was done in partnership with schools and the media. His implementation strategy included education and exhortation. I find it revealing that though he introduced the campaign in the ‘60s, the resistance there were still deviants two decades later.the resistance he faced, he persisted. Every national attitudinal change program will face resistance; what is important is whether the leader reacts to or responds to the resistance. In addition, attitudinal change isn’t achieved over-night, it is achieved over several years.

The second campaign I want to share with you has to do with how he solved the problems created by some taxi drivers who he described as “pirate taxi drivers” and illegal hawkers. They moved about recklessly, prevented the smooth flow of traffic, created litter and marred the beauty of the streets.

“For years we could not clean up the city by removing these illegal hawkers and pirate taxi drivers. Only after 1971, when we had created many jobs, were we able to enforce the law and reclaim the streets. We licensed the cooked food hawkers and moved them from the roads and pavements to properly constructed nearby hawker centers, with piped water, sewers, and garbage disposal. By the early 1980s we had resettled all hawkers. Some were such excellent cooks that they became great tourist attractions…It was the enterprise, drive, and talent of such people that made Singapore. Pirate taxi drivers were banished from the roads only after we had reorganized bus services and could provide them with alternative employment”.

His approach to arresting these issues is quite peculiar. He did two things before embarking on this program: he ensured the economy grew, created a lot of jobs and he created other viable alternatives for the people who were going to be affected. This is because the negative behaviors he sought to change were tied to the livelihoods of the people. Therefore, a campaign to discourage such behaviors without giving the people viable alternatives will elicit strong resistance. The alternatives were in the form of a better organized public bus transport system, more job opportunitiesfor taxi drivers who lost their jobs and new markets for the illegal hawkers to operate from. Sometimes, when someone believes that a certain behavior puts food into his pocket, you must go beyond education and exhortation to discourage him to stop that behavior; you must offer or show him a viable alternative. This must be done before seeking to enforce the law.

If he won’t place a NRBC program at the doorsteps of one MDA, he must at least task some of them to embark on different programs. The ministry for information can embark on a punctuality and patriotism campaign. The ministry for water and sanitation can embark on a sanitation program. The ministry for employment and labor relations can embark on an attitude to work program. The ministry for land natural resources can embark on a greening program. In a group, when no one is made responsible for solving a particular problem, usually, no one gets it done; it therefore cannot be measured and monitored and the situation remains unchanged.God bless our homeland Ghana and make our nation great and strong.

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By: Yaw Frimpong Tenkorang (Ghostwriter | Trainer | Preacher)

Email: [email protected])

The post Beyond the speech and personal example, Mr. President [Article] appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

As Barack Obama said “nothing can stand in the way of the power of millions of voices calling for change”.

Your Excellency, the youth of Ghana which constitutes about 75 percent rallied massively behind you because the previous government failed to understand the problem face by the youth which among others included unemployment and harsh economic environment that made it difficult to start-up a business.

By the grace of God the voice of the people have been heard and the long awaited change is here, Indeed, His Excellency the youth of this country have spoken, which establishes and gives us hope for a new and expanded youth empowerment horizons to enable us realize our potentials as useful members of the Ghanaian society and have a strong belief that your government will deliver and respond to the needs of all Ghanaians irrespective of political affiliation , ethnicity and gender.

Your resounding victory in last year’s elections shows the level of confidence the citizenry have in you and hope that your carefully selected team which is a good blend of gender, ethnicity and youthful inclusion in governance will transform the economy after four years of servitude which will be a launchpad for another term of office.

I want to take this opportunity to commend you for a competent selection of administrative staff and ministers so far whiles taking into account solutions to the trivial situations we faced as a country such as mismanagement of resources , corruption, dumsor and economic hardship of the people of Ghana in recent times , which resulted in the total rejection of the Mahama-led administration and believe that you will deliver to make Ghana great again.

I have that conviction that you will succeed as one of the best president’s in Africa. Your Excellency, the youth of Ghana believes in your capabilities and integrity because your over 25 years of statesmanship and a forerunner of democratic governance which ensures transparency, equity equality and accountability speaks for itself .

Your incorruptible, competent, ethical,selfless,visionary and passionate nature always comes to mind when leadership is discussed; with your usual slogan “I believe in Ghana” has given the youth of this country the hope and trust in your administration and optimistic that your government will bring comfort to the hopeless in society.

We lost hope in politicians after facing years of unemployment, but we decided to give another chance to the NPP because they have been tried and tested and have the capacity to transform and manage economic crisis.

I strongly believe that your government will lift the ban on public sector employment and also provide an enabling environment for the youth to start their own businesses. Congratulations once again!

May God bless you and give you the strength to make Ghana great again.

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By: Kenneth Gyamerah.

Youth Activist

YALI West Africa Fellow.

2017 Associate Fellow of The Royal Commonwealth.

The post An open letter to H.E Nana Akufo-Addo [Article] appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.