“If you have created [745,000] jobs, you must have some tangibilities to that effect. You are not giving us any figures. You are not telling us the number of jobs that were created within the various sectors within the value chain,” the NDC MP told Citi News.

[contextly_sidebar id=”ckEHRcowXZiIp4jsZlwzRU77scjuRZXH”]Mr. Quarshigah also questioned the substance of the jobs created, saying “if you are talking about people who were farm hands and all that, are these sustainable jobs?”

His comments followed the Food and Agriculture Minister, Dr. Afriyie Akoto’s announcement last week that 745,000 jobs had been created under the first phase of the programme with the caveat that the jobs were “unofficial jobs.”

The Minister explained to the media that the jobs were created in rural areas, and were essentially not taxable, and did not contribute to pension funds following the earlier skepticism that met the announced figure.

The figures were based on the number of additional inputs as well as improved seeds and fertilizers supplied to participating farmers in 2017.

Beyond Mr. Quarshigah’s concerns, the General Agricultural Workers’ Union (GAWU), also opined that government’s estimate of 745,000 jobs provided under the Planting for Food and Jobs programme might be exaggerated.

The Union’s General Secretary, Edward Kareweh, contended that the figure provided by the government would have to be scrutinized.

Lack of understanding

Despite the contentions with the figures from government, a Deputy Minister of Agriculture, Dr. Sagre Bambangi, said those doubting the number of jobs created by the programme needed to acquaint themselves with the situation on the ground.

According to him, the skeptics “have not been able to take time to appreciate the process involved in agricultural production.”

“In the course of agricultural production, we have input delivery, and in the course of the input delivery, a lot of stakeholders are involved and all these create jobs. For instance, if you are going to procure seeds and fertilizer, you are creating jobs for people who will haul the seeds and fertilizer. If you are going to haul the seeds and fertilizer, you are creating jobs for transport owners and haulers,” he explained.

–

By: Naa Shika Casesar & Delali Adogla-Bessa/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post Provide details of 745,000 jobs – Quarshigah to gov’t appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

The contracts were eventually approved retroactively by the Authority.

[contextly_sidebar id=”FeEDNuLW2W5505B6snb02VtgW0nqjc1W”]He said the threat of the armyworms required that the Ministry had to act with urgency, which explains why they had to bypass the Procurement Authority processes.

“We were under an emergency situation so everybody was running helter-skelter to ensure that we were not threatened by the fall armyworms the way it was going. So that is why the ministry engaged all the chemical sellers,” he stated on Eyewitness News.

Dr. Bambangi reiterated the defense he made in Parliament when the Ashaiman Member of Parliament, Ernest Norgbey, questioned the legality of the retrospective approval.

“We have a legal adviser in the ministry, and if it is not founded in law, he wouldn’t have advised the ministry to go that way… we applied to the Public Procurement Authority and if it was not founded in law, they wouldn’t have approved it.”

Sole-sourcing has been noted as a conduit for corruption, which the governing New Patriotic Party has criticized vehemently in the past, and even put in place a Minister of Procurement for the first time.

Dr. Bambangi however assured that, there was nothing shady underneath the deal for the chemicals.

He noted that “everybody agreed it [the armyworms] was a threat to food security if we didn’t control it well… It is not as if we purchased from one chemical dealer. We purchased from 12 chemical dealers.”

In all, 12 companies were assembled by the government to supply the insecticides to fight the armyworms, but without a competitive bidding process.

Legality or retrospective approval

A lecturer at the University of Education, B.B. Bingab, indicated that there was no aspect of the law that allowed for retrospective approval.

The closest aspect of the law, which Dr. Bambangi alluded to in his defense, is section 40(1) (c) of the Public Procurement Act, 2003 (Act 663).

It states that “a procurement entity may engage in single source procurement under section 41 with the approval of the board… where owing to a catastrophic event, there is an urgent need for the goods, works or technical services, making it impractical to use any other methods of procurement because of the time involved in using those methods.”

Dr. Bingab admitted the lack of any lawful avenue for retrospective action, but noted that “there are certain instances where a decision has to be made bearing in mind the repercussions of not taking that decision.”

In this instance, where a state of emergency was called over the impact and threat of armyworms, the lecturer noted that retrospective approval may have been justified.

“In the event that if you don’t take that decision [immediately], it makes no meaning to eventually get the approval you need, then you have got to act… to wait till the final decision will suggest that even the request you are making will be in vain.”

–

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

The post Armyworm situation was critical – MoFA defends GHc9m sole-sourcing appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

The group is protesting against what they describe as harsh economic conditions in the country.

The Police earlier entreated the organizers of the picket dubbed ‘Occupy Flagstaff House’ to reschedule the march.

According to the Public Relations Officer of the Greater Accra Police Command, DSP Freeman Tettey told Citi News, the timing of the protest is not convenient as far as public policing is concerned.

But a press statement issued by the Group Convener of the march, Akwasi Awuah noted that “the Ghana Police Service and Concerned Ghanaians for Responsible Governance (CGRG) have agreed that come tomorrow July 1, 2014 the protest dubbed #occupyflagstaffhouse or #occupyflagstaff and the presentation of a petition to H.E. John Dramani Mahama will take place as planned. “

It further indicated that the only alteration to the event is that Ghanaians will converge on the Efua Sutherland Children’s Park at 6am instead of the Flag Staff House.

“The Ghana Police Service has graciously assured us of protection for the entire duration of the protest. Let us however stress again that we shall not condone any form of violence, hooliganism or lawlessness,” it further clarified.

Below is the full statement issued by the Group

The meeting with the Ghana Police Service came to a successful end a little while ago. The official report from that meeting is as follows:

The Ghana Police Service and Concerned Ghanaians for Responsible Governance (CGRG) have agreed that come tomorrow July 1, 2014 the protest dubbed #occupyflagstaffhouse or #occupyflagstaff and the presentation of a petition to H.E. John Dramani Mahama will take place as planned.

The only alteration to the event is that all concerned Ghanaians will converge at the Efua Sutherland Children’s Park at 6am and not in front of the Flagstaff House as proposed earlier. We will then march peacefully to the Flagstaff House to present our petition to the President. This compromise was reached as a result of sound security concerns presented by the Police. The Ghana Police Service has graciously assured us of protection for the entire duration of the protest. Let us however stress again that we shall not condone any form of violence, hooliganism or lawlessness. We are prepared to hand over to the Police anyone who decides to engage in such behavior. Furthermore, we entreat you all to come along with some water for your own consumption. As responsible citizens, it is our duty to ensure we do not litter so please ensure that you properly dispose of any waste you may create during tomorrow’s peaceful protest. Come clad in a red or black attire. Come with a placard and/or a Ghana flag. Come one; come all and let us demand responsible governance. #Occupyflagstaffhouse #occupyflagstaff CGRG – Responsible Governance for a Happy People.

SIGNED :Nana Akwasi Awuah Group Convener

30th June, 2014
By: Marian Efe Ansah/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post ‘Occupy Flag Staff House’ picket to take off as planned appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.