Speaking to students during a Humanities Day Forum organized by the SOS-Hermann Gmeiner International College in Tema, Dr. Asante said it is dangerous for the youth to isolate themselves and look on unconcerned about issues affecting their immediate societies and the country as a whole.

“The problem we have in Africa is that when you talk about leadership, it is all about political leadership. We need to create leaders in every facet of our society. Don’t wait for that future that is to come. Wherever you are start being a leader and make a change,” he challenged the youth.

He asserted that it is time for Africa’s youth to contribute their quota to addressing the continent’s challenges.

“I want people to start thinking and believing that they can make a difference no matter how overwhelming the challenges of Africa are,” he said.

Dr. Asante further advised the youth to be patriotic and commit to serve others, if they want Africa to be able to overcome its numerous challenges.

“You need to care about your society; it is not an option. Unemployment is not going to disappear anytime soon. Care about how that society will be inclusive, equitable and progressive enough, so that whether you are rich or poor, you will still be taken care of by that society,” he said.

The Humanities Day Forum is organized biennially by the SOS-Hermann Gmeiner International College as a way of introducing students to varying perspectives on topical issues affecting African societies today and their impact on the development of the continent and the world.

This year’s Forum, themed “Taking Ownership of Our Own Development,” was inspired by the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goal 16 (Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions).

Other key speakers included Shamima Muslim Ishmael, award-winning journalist and convener for Alliance of Women in Media Africa (AWMA).

On her part, Mrs. Ishmael noted that, the single threat to the existence and security of the African continent is youth unemployment. She therefore challenged the students to begin to care about the state in which the continent finds itself, and assist by putting their talents and knowledge to good use.

“You have to use your environment and create opportunities for yourself and others,” she said.

“It’s either you care now or you will be made to care at a time that may be too late; your care will stand for nothing.”

Stressing that the greatest resource any country or continent can boast of is in the depths of the minds of its people, Mrs. Ishmael also charged African leaders to concentrate on developing its ever-increasing human resource base.

Participants of the Humanities Day Forum were drawn from, Tema International School, Ghana Christian International High School, Tema Senior High School, Chemu Senior High School, Methodist Senior High School and the host school, SOS-Hermann Gmeiner International College.

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By:citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post Kojo Asante, Shamima urge Ghanaian youth to care about Ghana appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

Speaking on the Citi Breakfast Show, Mr. Asante explained that, a more comprehensive probe could be realized if President Nana Akufo-Addo, who was petitioned by some staff of the EC, expands the remit of the Economic and Organized Crime Office (EOCO).

[contextly_sidebar id=”s0LPxCdCinE3Pemypso5opDO7VuWQrzm”]EOCO’s mandate allows it to monitor and investigate economic and organised crimes involving serious financial or economic loss to the state, and on the authority of the Attorney General, prosecute these offences.

“This petition was to trigger the removal of Mrs. Charlotte Osei, but I think the President, having received the response [from Charlotte Osei], should basically expand the remit of EOCO to go substantially into all the matters and allegations that have been raised to establish for a fact what exactly has happened; whether abuses of power have happened, whether financial mismanagement has happened, whether allegations of corruption can be established prima facie. Based on this, the president can make some recommendations on whether he is going to move the process forward or not.”

Some organisations have proposed the use of Alternative Dispute Resolution mechanisms to mediate the problems at the EC and ensure a truce. But Mr. Asante noted that, the hierarchy of the EC was now implicated and tainted by the allegations of corruption and financial malfeasance thus any intervention in the EC’s affairs must be angled towards unraveling the truth.

“The way it is, if you don’t isolate the allegations of criminality and so on and just move quickly to calm things down and let everything get along, you would really miss the opportunity of trying to resolve what appears to be serious challenges with corporate governance at the EC… It would also afford the individuals the opportunity to “fully exonerate themselves in one way or the other because their reputations are also on the line.”

Prior to the petition from the employees, EOCO, had been interrogating the EC’s Director of Finance, and two other officials over their alleged involvement in the loss of GHc480,000 from the Commission’s Staff Endowment Fund.

Official communication between the EC Chairperson, Charlotte Osei, and Dr. Asamaoh, later indicated that he was indeed not at post when the money went missing from the Commission’s Staff Endowment Fund.

Background

The EC tensions came to the fore after some employees of commission petitioned President Akufo-Addo to dismiss Charlotte Osei for alleged financial malfeasance.

Among the allegations centred around financial malfeasance, the aggrieved employees claimed that Mrs. Osei unilaterally awarded a GHc 3.9 million contract for work on an office complex without consulting the Commission.

The employees also said Mrs. Osei engaged in cronyism by awarding another contract to the tune of $14,310,961 to associates for the construction of prefabricated District offices.

Mrs. Osei rubbished the allegations in a detailed response to the employees and fired some accusations of her own, alleging that a Deputy Commissioner in-charge of Operations at the EC, Amadu Sulley, milked some GHc 6 million from political parties without informing the Commission’s Finance Department.

She said the political party primaries were treated as a private commercial project by Amadu Sulley, noting that funds were paid directly into the personal accounts of key staff for functions to be performed at the primaries.

Mrs. Osei also said she will order investigations into the conduct of Amadu Sulley and other Commissioners believed to be engaged in malpractices.

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

The post Nana Addo should empower EOCO to fully probe EC – Kojo Asante appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

He said the Electoral Commission’s (EC) reaction to court challenges of its decision to disqualify some presidential aspirants has been ‘unprecedented’.

Speaking on The Ghana Report TV show on Monday [November 7], Dr Asante expressed shock at an announcement by the EC that it had discovered more errors on the nomination forms of some of the disqualified aspirants.

He said the EC could have avoided dragging the issues any further, following the Supreme Court’s order which was supposed to bring finality to the entire challenges.

He argued that the Electoral Commission is still uncertain about the grounds on which it disqualified the various candidates.

Dr. Kojo Asante therefore urged the EC to focus on the basis for the disqualification, and allow the candidates to correct the errors as ordered by the Supreme Court, and speed up its electoral process since the country has barely a month to the general elections.

‘PPP floors EC again’

The Electoral Commission on Monday 31^st of October,  filed an application praying the Supreme Court to bring a final judgment to the rulings of the High Court on Friday 29^th of October, which directed the EC to allow the presidential nominee of the Progressive People’s Party (PPP), Papa Kwesi Nduom, to correct errors on his nomination forms.

The Supreme Court presided over by Justice Sophia Adinyira subsequently on Monday [November 7], gave its verdict that the EC should allow the all disqualified aspirants a period of up to the close of day November 8, to correct their errors and resubmit their forms.

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By: Gifty Tracy Aminu/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post Stop the delay tactics – Dr. Kojo Asante tells EC appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.