According to her the role of the Ghanaian Diaspora in national development has won unprecedented recognition from the current government.

Speaking at the maiden end of year interaction with Ghanaians in Denmark, she said, “President Nana Akufo-Addo’s administration prioritises Diaspora investments. This is evident in his vision on Diaspora inclusiveness in building the new Ghana, the Ghana beyond Aid.”

Ambassador Ollennu Awua-Asamoa stated that Government is seeking a partnership with the diaspora that will increase investments, create a vibrant private sector, and the needed jobs for the teaming youth in Ghana.

“There is the need to inculcate in our people the best practices you’ve learnt from working in the top businesses and companies from the around the world. This would be the needed seed we would sow for the transformation of Ghana,” she emphasised in her address to the leadership of the various churches, unions and political parties (NPP&NDC) at the forum.

On the recent state visit by the Queen of Denmark to Ghana in November, She described it as a big success and that some eight MOUs have been signed in various sectors with the high-level delegation of 39 businesses that joined the Queen to visit Ghana.

Call for Unity

Ambassador Ollennu Awua-Asamoa further called on the various Ghanaian unions, Churches, political groupings and intellectuals to join the Ghana mission to present a united Ghanaian front in activities in the country.

“The mission is bent on pursuing and achieving positive results through close cooperation and trust with the Ghanaian Diaspora. Whatever has happened in the past should stay in the past. I am here now as your ambassador, ready to serve! Let’s start on a new page, afresh with no prejudice or malice”, she added.

The leadership of the NDC and NPP branches in Denmark commended the efforts of the mission to promote closer ties between the Diaspora networks all over the Scandinavian countries.

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By: Rabiu Alhassan

The post Ghana Ambassador meets Ghanaians in Denmark appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

Novo Nordisk manufactures and markets pharmaceutical products and services, and is a pioneer in the treatment of diabetes.

In the first of a two-part series, host of the Citi Breakfast Show, Bernard Avle, speaks  to CEO of the company,  Lars Fruergaard Jørgensen, on the company’s work in the treatment of diabetes and obesity, and their contributions to healthcare delivery in Ghana.

Ben: You are the new CEO of Novo Nordisk. It’s a huge company, tell us what is it like to be running an organisation of that size and how you do it? 

Lars: It’s a great privilege to have that role. I’ve been with the company for 26 years. When you’ve spent your whole working life in the company, to become CEO one day is fantastic. It’s a special pleasure because it’s a company where, as a CEO, I need to satisfy my shareholders but we run our business based on what we call a triple bottom line principle. So I have to be accountable for the financial resources and also environmental impact and social responsibility. Being here in Ghana is part of that because we think we have a special responsibility for both employees of the company and also the patients we serve. Helping people with diabetes is basically what we do both from a business point of view but also from a socially responsible way of conducting business.

Ben: Your company is a massive and impressive organisation and you are a global player. Africa has some of  the diabetes burden but in terms of economic power, Ghana is a small player. Why would a global CEO of a multinational company like yours be so interested in Ghana to the extent of signing MoUs and coming here yourself?

Lars: We are committed to people with diabetes all over the world including in Africa and Ghana. You’re right that this is a very small business for us, but in Ghana we have as many people – around 8% – living with diabetes. Many of them, more than 70% are not diagnosed and do not know they have it. We feel a responsibility for going into partnerships with local faith-based groups, the Catholic church and the Ministry of Health to help people do screenings and ultimately make sure that you get to know early on if you have diabetes. Because if you get treated early, you can live a much better life, free of complications. If you walk around with the condition for a long time and discover it late, it will have a more devastating impact on your life and on the health system that has to treat it.

Lars: The number of people with diabetes is expected to almost double over the next 30 years but we also know that we have a lot of products that can treat diabetes. Actually, a leading cause of developing Type 2 diabetes is obesity. We believe that instead of treating diabetes when you get it, if you can actually address the obesity and prevent people from getting diabetes that is the right way to go.  Obesity is a very complex disease; it’s lifetime related but there’s also physiology linked to it. So we believe that focusing on both lifestyle and medication can reverse the trend in obesity. Looking at the model, if you can reduce the number of people that are obese by 25%, you can reverse the growth in diabetes. If we bring down the number of people with obesity by 25% we can reduce 100 million diabetics on a global basis. We are in the business of selling products but we’re also in the business of making sure that the health systems of the countries we operate in are sustainable from a disease burden point of view.  Unless we do something together with the local health agencies, the burden of obesity and diabetes will just continue and will be too big for most countries to deal with.

Ben: How far are you in your research for obesity? Within Ghana’s middle class, you see a lot of people trying to lose weight; some are exercising, some are taking all kinds of concoctions and a few of them also do surgeries. From a Novo Nordisk point of view, what are some of the prognosis in terms of what you’ll be offering when you fully enter the obesity market?

Lars: We have a product class called GLP-1; we have launched GLP-1 in Ghana called Victoza. It has a good side-effect that makes people lose weight. We have also developed a version of the molecule into a dedicated obesity product. A third of the patients using this product lose more than 10% weight. We have the next generation GLP-1 product under development where people will lose weight similar to what you lose when you have surgery. We believe there is an opportunity to significantly reduce weight based on medical intervention but it’s really important that you do it together with lifestyle change, diet, exercise, and that takes a lot of coaching and education in what is the right food to eat. When I visited the diabetes center, it was interesting to listen to those who come there that are getting education on the right foods to eat when you have diabetes. It is possible to do, but it takes a big effort.

Ben: Your company is a pioneer in the injection for diabetes and a few months ago you launched in Ghana, your Human Flexpen insulin. Talk to us about how proud you are of these products and how they will change the management of diabetes for people who have the condition.

Lars: Today, most diabetics in Ghana have to pull up insulin in syringes from vials and inject themselves. We just launched in Ghana, insulin in a pre-filled pen so you put on a very small needle that you hardly feel when you penetrate your skin. You have a pen system that you can wear and bring. It’s a very convenient way of treating yourself and takes some of the concerns that diabetics have in terms of handling the injection. So these pens are now available in Ghana.

Lars: Yes, they are. Actually, in Ghana, there’s a social security system that provides access to insulin. The insulins we provide here are quite affordable. We have a pricing policy so the least developed countries that can buy products at a low cost. We also have programmes where children with diabetes get access to free insulin. In Ghana, there is access to insulin so what we are focusing on, together with the Ministry of Health and the Catholic Church is to make sure that it gets to the patients and that it’s accessible. We invest in these diabetes clinics where patients can come and get all their care in one place.  We are committed to making products available. If you get insulin in a sophisticated device, it’s more expensive and that is not available for everyone.

Ben: How does the model work in Ghana? Do you partner with Government to make the drugs available and the government resells? Or can I go to a normal hospital or drug store and ask for your Insulin pen?

Lars: When you go to the hospital, there is access to our drug. In the clinic I visited, there’s both a screening function where people are screened for diabetes to see whether there are any complications. You’ll get your laboratory work done, measure your glucose level and get a prescription of insulin and there’s actually an in-clinic pharmacy where you pick up your product.  So it’s all in one place which makes it easy for patients.

Ben: And you’re saying you price differently so the cost at which I’ll get the insulin pen in Accra is different from what I’ll get it at in New York. By what percentage is it lower?

Lars: We have different generations of products. If you are an American and you have a job in a big company, typically you have a very rich health insurance plan and you’ll get access and reimbursement to the latest medication so you have latest generation insulin and devices. If you are an America without Health Insurance, you’ll probably get the same insulin as they get here in Ghana. In the US, it’s also very cheap but it’s still more expensive than it is here.

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By: citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post Novo Nordisk Q&A: How Danish giant boosted Ghana’s diabetes fight appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

Speaking at a state dinner held in honour of the visiting Queen of Denmark, Queen Margrethe II, President Akufo-Addo conveyed the “importance that Ghana attaches to the process of UN reform especially of the UN Security Council.”

[contextly_sidebar id=”pj5HduvmrcNihxWAvy4v2renahezbgPE”]The President has consistently reiterated the need for reforms at the UN, most recently during his maiden address to the 72nd session of the UN General Assembly, where he questioned the UN’s credibility.

He said the UN was “seen by many as helping to perpetuate an unfair world order.”

In his appeal to the Danish Queen, President Akufo-Addo noted Africa’s common stance on UN reform per the 2005 Ezulwini Consensus, and urged Denmark to support its calls for “this long overdue reform”.

The Ezulwini Consensus is a position on international relations and reform of the United Nations, agreed by the African Union.

As part of the Ezulwini Consensus, African Heads of State and Governments have demanded two seats as permanent members and five further seats as non-permanent members on the UN Security Council.

“It is time to correct the longstanding injustice that the current structure and composition of the UN security council represents for the nations of Africa,” President Akufo-Addo concluded.

The UN Security Council

The Security Council is composed of 15 Members comprising five permanent members and 10 non-permanent members.

The permanent members are China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United States of America.

The 10 non-permanent members are elected for two-year terms by the General Assembly, of which Africa currently has three countries; Egypt, Ethiopia, and Senegal.

Ghana has served on the Security Council as a non-permanent member three times, with the most recent term ending in 2007.

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

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The Atlantic slave trade involved the forced transportation by slave traders of enslaved Africans, mainly from Africa to the Americas between the 16th to the 19th centuries.

The slaves were treated under the most inhumane conditions, and scars of the slave trade remain today with racial tension persisting in some western countries.

The Danish Foreign Minister, Anders Samuelson, making the pronouncement at the Flagstaff House, said Denmark was ashamed of its part in the slave trade.

“…I also take the opportunity to bring up a more distant shared history. We share a dark history of slave trade – shameful and unforgivable part of Danish history. Nothing can justify the exploitation of men, women and children in which Denmark took part.”

Anders Samuelson is part of the delegation of Queen of Denmark, Margrethe II, who is the first Danish Monarch to Visit Ghana.

Brief history

Denmark’s involvement in the then-Gold Coast begun on April 20, 1663, when it seized the Christiansborg Fort (Osu Castle) and Carlsborg Fort (Cape Castle), as it completed the annexation of Swedish Gold Coast settlements.

A number of trading stations and forts were built by the Danes during their time in Ghana, several of which are in ruins today.

The Osu Castle was noted as the base for Danish power in West Africa, and the centre for slave trade to the Danish West Indies.

In 1807, Denmark’s African business partners were overcome by the Akan resistance which led to the abandonment of all trading stations.

Denmark’s involvement in the then-Gold Coast ended following the Norwegian Declaration of Independence in 1814.

Denmark’s five Danish Gold Coast Territorial Settlements and forts of the Kingdom of Denmark were sold to the United Kingdom and were incorporated into the British Gold Coast in 1850.

Ghana and Denmark relations after slave trade 

Years after the dark days of slavery,  Denmark through its DANIDA Agency, has supported Ghana in many sectors of the economy.

However, Denmark has now decided to move from aid to trade, a vision that falls in line with President Akufo-Addo’s Ghana’s  beyond aid agenda.

Ghana and Denmark have enjoyed strong diplomatic and commercial ties over the years, and this visit by the Queen, joined by representatives of Danish companies and business organizations, is further aimed at strengthening same.

With Ghana’s graduation to a middle-income country and the prospects of sustainable economic growth, Denmark is gradually transitioning from development aid to trade cooperation, in line with the vision of the Government of Ghana.

Facts about Ghana and Danish exports:

•Ghana has 28 million inhabitants.

•Ghana was Denmark’s 84th largest export market in 2016, corresponding to DKK 272.7 million (around EUR 37 million) or 0.04% of total Danish exports.

•In the first seven months of 2017, Danish exports to Ghana rose to almost DKK 1 billion (EUR 134 million).

•The Danish International Development Assistance (Danida) has been active in Ghana since 1989, but the Danish development aid will now be phased out and cease entirely in 2020, as Ghana became a middle income country in 2011.

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

The post Denmark apologizes to Ghana for role in slave trade appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

Referencing Ghana’s long history with Denmark, dating as far back as the 17th century, the President said “we are looking forward to developing those relations, and we hope your visit will help cement a new relationship between our two countries.”

President Akufo-Addo made these comments as he held bilateral talks with Queen Margrethe II at the Flagstaff House as part of the Danish monarch’s three-day visit to the country.

Queen Margrethe II is the first Danish Monarch to visit Ghana, and she was accompanied by a large business delegation from Denmark.

President Akufo-Addo reiterated his Ghana beyond aid pledge, saying developing good trade and investment relations with Ghana’s partners was a step in the right direction.

“Increasingly, the focus of Ghanaian policy is to accentuate economic partnership between our partners, to ensure that businessmen  and women can get together and invest in our country, and Ghanaian business people, if they can, also invest in [countries like] Denmark,” the President said.

“Denmark has been a solid ally, friend and partner of Ghana. There are so many areas of our national life which have been affected by the generosity of the Danish people, and the co-operation development area encompasses many areas.”

The support from Denmark “is a support we treasure and value”, President Akufo-Addo said as he assured Queen Margrethe II that the support “has been put to good use.”

Danish Queen Margrethe II, visits Osu Mantse, Osu castle

The queen of Denmark, Her Majesty Margrethe II today [Thursday], November 23, 2017, paid a courtesy call on the Osu Mantse, Nii Okwei Kinka Dowuona VI, at his palace, as part of activities marking day one of a three-day historic state visit to Ghana.

She made her second stop at the Osu castle, where she met with members of the national and regional house of chiefs, and also witnessed a book launch by celebrated archaeologist, Professor Henry Wellington.

The Osu Castle was noted as the base for Danish power in West Africa, and the centre for slave trade to the Danish West Indies. The queen’s last stop was at the Arts and Design Centre where she met award-winning sculptor, Constance Elizabeth Swaniker.

Ghana and Denmark relations

Ghana and Denmark have enjoyed strong diplomatic and commercial ties over the years, and this visit by the Queen, who will be joined by representatives of Danish companies and business organizations, is further aimed at strengthening same.

With Ghana’s graduation to a middle-income country and the prospects of sustainable economic growth, Denmark is gradually transitioning from development aid to trade cooperation, in line with the vision of the Government of Ghana.

Facts about Ghana and Danish exports:

•Ghana has 28 million inhabitants.

•Ghana was Denmark’s 84th largest export market in 2016, corresponding to DKK 272.7 million (around EUR 37 million) or 0.04% of total Danish exports.

•In the first seven months of 2017, Danish exports to Ghana rose to almost DKK 1 billion (EUR 134 million).

•The Danish International Development Assistance (Danida) has been active in Ghana since 1989, but the Danish development aid will now be phased out and cease entirely in 2020, as Ghana became a middle income country in 2011.

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

The post Ghana, Denmark will build strong trade relations – Nana Addo 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.

The Scandinavian country currently generates 40 percent of their total power output from wind, and is also targeting a rise in this total by 10 percent in the next ten years.

[contextly_sidebar id=”LtMVcthkeN9ma2tuSoLgXUA6ImMsIXYx”]Speaking to the host of the Citi Breakfast Show, Bernard Avle in Denmark, Hans Peter Slente admitted that, whilst it was impossible to say for certain how they would achieve their plan, it remains their central focus.

He added that they were on the “right path” and aim to become one of the world leaders in the use of renewable energy.

“It’s 2050, so nobody knows exactly how to get there, but it’s an ambition which drives the current green transition of our country which is on the right path, and at the right pace towards the end goal in 2050. We’re not there yet and we have to invest time, effort and money into achieving it. But it’s a trend that many countries in the world have embarked on. We would like to be part of it and in certain aspects be a leader in certain technologies and certain solutions,” he said.

“Nobody knows exactly how we’ll achieve it. There might be fossil fuel involved in the future, but we need to develop renewables very fast and to be more efficient with the energy we use to achieve the end goal of fossil independence by 2050.”

Hans Peter Slente spoke to Bernard Avle who was in the country at the invitation of the Danish government with three  other Ghanaian journalists, ahead of Danish Queen, Margrethe II’s visit to Ghana later in November.

The monarch, on her maiden trip to the West African nation, is expected to be accompanied by a large Danish business delegation within three focus sectors, namely food & agriculture, sustainability, maritime, infrastructure and railways.

Denmark has earned global repute for its environmentally-friendly policies which have helped it maintain a ‘green’ outlook despite its industrial prowess, something other countries have tried and failed to achieve.

Just under half of the country’s total electricity is generated from wind power, whilst the country also uses biofuels and biomass, something he describes as a crucial part of Denmark’s transition to a ‘green’ country.

“The trademark for Denmark might be the wind power as we see the windmills all over or many places in society. About 40% of the electricity generated and used in Denmark is from wind power. We’re aiming at 50% by 2020. Wind power is a very big factor, but also using biofuels, biomass from agriculture and forestry, municipal waste streams to put into furnaces, incinerate it and transform it into electricity and heat, which we also use a lot in Denmark. That is really a strong part of the great Danish green transition – the biomass we use is a big factor.”

He added that despite not being a tropical location, Denmark generates some amount of its electricity from solar power, and expects more growth in that area.

“We aren’t really sunny and hot as a country, but we have solar power in our energy mix. It’s not a big thing. We have solar for both electricity and heating, and though it’s less than 5%, we see that it’s growing and we expect it to grow even more.”

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By: Edwin Kwakofi/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post Denmark uses 40% wind power, targets to cut fossil fuel by 2050 appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

This will be her first visit to any West African country.

Here are five facts about the Danish monarchs.

Queen for 45 years and counting…

Margrethe Alexandrine Þorhildur Ingrid, Her Majesty The Queen, became Queen of Denmark in 1972.

On the occasion of her accession to the throne on 14 January 1972, HM Queen Margrethe II became the first Danish Sovereign under the new Act of Succession (The Royal House).

Education

Her Majesty The Queen attended Zahles Skole between 1946 and 1955 – She was a private pupil at Amalienborg Palace from 1946 to 1949.

Between 1960 and 1965, HM The Queen studied at universities in Denmark and other European countries. Copenhagen University in 1960, University of Cambridge in 1960-61, Aarhus University in 1961-1962, at the Sorbonne in 1963, and at the London School of Economics in 1965 (The Royal House).

Language

HM The Queen’s mother tongue is Danish. In addition, Her Majesty speaks French, Swedish, English and German(The Royal House).

Politics

HM The Queen takes no part in politics and does not express any political opinions.

Denmark has a constitutional monarchy, which means that the monarch cannot independently perform political acts. Although The Queen signs all Acts of Parliament, these only come into force when they have been countersigned by a Cabinet Minister (The Royal House).

Number of Travels and guiding principle

The Queen’s impending State Visit to Ghana in November will be her state visit no. 53. Since her accession to the throne in 1972, The Queen has been on state visits to large parts of the world.

The first were to Sweden, Norway, Iceland and Finland, and the latest was to Indonesia in 2015.

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By: Rabiu Alhassan

The post 5 facts about the Queen of Denmark appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

According to her, Denmark had achieved enormous success and gained recognition globally for the impact made by its small enterprises, something Ghana could benefit from.

“I think my visit is going to be very significant for the relations between our two countries because it means that you will find quite a large trade delegation is accompanying me and they are obviously there because they hope to develop good relations with Ghanaian businesses and opportunities,” she said.

[contextly_sidebar id=”rjdOwxOJAOAZRthrhlAqTcb2GvENqJ5E”]“We have very large, almost worldwide firms in Denmark, but we have a  number of small and middle-sized Danish firms who do work worldwide and that’s one of our strengths and one thing that will be of interest and inspiration for people in Ghana. You have to start somewhere and it’s good to know that you can start small and expand it and make it worldwide. That’s something we’re very proud of in Denmark.”

The Danish Monarch was speaking in an interview with Director of News Programming at Citi FM, and Host of the award-winning Citi Breakfast Show, Bernard Avle, Kate Baaba Hudson of the Daily Graphic and Portia Sonia Adoley Gabor of TV3 in Denmark, and Jubal Kwaku Amedetor, also of TV3, ahead of her trip to Ghana.

‘More aware of Ghana’

Queen Margrethe II expressed her excitement at the impending visit to Ghana, her first to a West African country.

She stated that her visit while building trade relations between the two countries will also foster a better understanding of the two nations.

“I’m very much looking forward to my visit to Ghana in a few weeks’ time. It’s my first time in Ghana and in fact, it’s my first time in West Africa which means it’s something entirely new for me. But Denmark and Ghana have had very good relations for a very long time. I know that there is a large group of Danish business people who are looking forward to being [in Ghana] with me and to see what they can do and they are excited about the prospects of working in Ghana,” Queen Margarethe said.

“I think people in Denmark will become much more aware of Ghana because of this visit. Of course, people know about Ghana, but a visit like this always makes people more aware of what Ghana is and what the country is like. And I’m certainly going to learn a lot.”

Danish Trip

The 3-day press trip to Denmark was organised for four selected Ghanaian journalists, including Citi Breakfast Show host, Bernard Koku Avle.

The Queen, on her eventual historic visit to Ghana, is expected to be accompanied by a Danish business delegation within three focus sectors, namely food & agriculture, sustainability, maritime, infrastructure and railways.

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By: Edwin Kwakofi/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post Small businesses could drive growth in Ghana – Danish Queen appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

According to him, the education of the youth is a “core value” of Danish culture, with the state willing to support the academic exploits of students.

[contextly_sidebar id=”SUibzQizvlhBiWEPnon6c2gUBIa0avZx”]”[Free education] has been like this for many years in Denmark.  I’ve never experienced anything else, it’s free to have education in Denmark. There’s also a support system for people who are studying, so they have support from the state,” he said in an interview with Citi FM‘s Bernard Avle.

“We can always have a discussion on whether we have the right balance, but it is the core value in Denmark and our democracy is built on the old school reforms – they are more than 100 years old – where it was an obligation for people to go to school and it was supported by the state. Funding came from a very high tech level. We tax persons more than 50 percent on average, we have all kinds of taxes which are of course needed when you want to have a big public sector.”

He stated that the importance of education to the development of the country had been firmly established in the Scandinavian nation

As a result, despite his own preference for the taxes to be lowered, the citizens are more than happy to pay the high taxes to ensure that their wards have access to quality educational services.

“Our main focus is on education. We need to educate our population so that they are able to reach out for new opportunities. I have a son who’s 26 years old, and is now working with Microsoft in Copenhagen, but I don’t understand what he’s working on. The next generation will see new opportunities that we cannot even imagine today. What we can do is to educate them so that they can have a chance to reach out for new opportunities,” he said.

“You could find another balance as a liberal, I would like to see it lowered a little bit so we could have a bigger private sector, but that is more of an ideological debate.”

‘Great potential’

Anders Samuelsen praised Ghana’s democratic credentials which he said had earned it respect around the globe, and had positioned the West African country as a great destination for potential investors.

“Ghana is a great example of the potential we see in Africa. [Ghana] is one of the examples people look up to and that’s one of the reasons why our Queen is looking forward to this visit. You have a good story and a good track record and we have the same focus in trying to develop human rights, democracy and respect for law and order, and at the same time, we have a common view on trade as being one of the most important ways to get people out of poverty to middle-class standard and thereby being able to live the life they dream of,” he said.

Ghana’s Free SHS education

In Ghana, very few people in the formal sector pay taxes while the majority of the population in the informal sector are not captured in the tax net.

In spite of this, and the fact that the country largely depends on donor funding to support its budget, the government has implemented a policy to offer free Senior High School education.

The initial stages of the policy, which is to cost the government some Ghc400 million for the first academic year, has been fraught with infrastructural challenges in many schools.

Government has so far not disbursed all the monies needed by the schools to cater for the first year students who are the beginners for the policy’s implementation.

There have been concerns about how the country intends to fund the programme, sustain it and also maintain quality education, considering that the economy largely thrives on importation and services with very little focus on industrialization.

Danish queen’s visit

Citi FM’s reports from Denmark come ahead of the official State Visit of Denmark’s Head of State, Her Majesty the Queen Margrethe II, from November 23 to November 24.

The 3-day press trip to Denmark was organised for four selected Ghanaian journalists, including Citi Breakfast Show host, Bernard Koku Avle.

The press trip will be capped with a press conference with Queen Margrethe II.

The Queen, on her eventual historic visit to Ghana, is expected to be accompanied by a Danish business delegation within three focus sectors, namely food & agriculture, sustainability, maritime, infrastructure and railways.

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By: Edwin Kwakofi/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post Higher taxes fund free education – Danish Foreign Minister appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.