SHUT DOWN SOCIAL MEDIA AND SPARK UP A REVOLUTION

SHUT DOWN SOCIAL MEDIA AND SPARK UP A REVOLUTION
The Internet with its numerous beneficial services has become the most powerful tool in the 21st century the world over.
Social media is just but one of the popular and well appreciated services the Internet has provided humanity.It has come to broaden the fronties of digital democracy making access to information quite easier and convenient.
Social media has become so powerful to the extent that the concern of Lord Acton on the possible abuse of enormous power is most dangerous to overlook,especially, in this era of democracy and freedom of speach.
There is no gainsaying the impact of social media extend to political circles.An indication of the political impact as well as the power of the social media was made clear to leaders across the continent during the "Arab Spring" in 2010 and in the "African Spring" of October 2014, when long time president Blaise Campaore of Burkina Faso was toppled by a popular uprising . Indeed,"Social media did not cause the "Arab Spring" but helped to Cordinate it"-Arthur Goldstuck from technical market research company world wide worx, told the BBC.
A research by Portland communicators equally indicates that African twitters tend to be more political than twitters in other countries.
As a result, people in authority particularly in African countries have always raised concerns about Social media and activities therein when elections brew with most of them resorting to disconnecting popular social media platforms during elections.Most recently are the cases of Congo-Brazzaville, Chad and Uganda.Congolesse officials said the blackout was to prevent "illegal publication of results".
In the case of Uganda, Facebook, Twitter, WhatsAp were all blocked in the name of silencing conversations on the elections over such medias. 
The Inspector General of Ghana Police Service John Kudalor in trying to learn from what he 'babtized' as "best practices" from these countries was heard saying at a media interaction in Accra on May 26,2016,that "At one stage, I said that if it becomes critical on the eve and also on the Election Day,we shall block all social media sites as other countries have done. We're thinking about it".According to the IGP, the move was to counter the actions of potential 'trouble makers'.
He has since being subjected to intense public criticisms in the court of public opinion with many describing his comments as repressive ,unjust and against the right to freedom of expression....
Mr.IGP,I beg to add my voice to the raging debate you have started .Yes, it's very easy to shut down social media in a country like Ghana where most of us depend on telecommunication companies as our Internet service providers.You simply ask them to restrict access to specific social media IP (Internet protocol) addresses and with the click of a mouse it's done!But lets look at the issues;
Mr.IGP,I pray you not to blame Ghanaians,citizenship education has brought us to the know about what our Fourth Republican Constitution means when it says in Chapter Five Article 21 (1) that all persons shall have the right to-
(a) freedom of speach and expression which shall include freedom of the press and other media;emphasis on "other media".
(f) information,subject to such qualifications and laws as are necessary in a democratic society.
The extent of the restrictions to these rights as imposed under the criminal code of 1960 (act 29) among others has not also escaped our attention.
We are not also blind to the fact that freedom of speach as a concept is an inherent and inalienable human right to voice one's opinion publicly without fear of censorship or punishment.
As a member state with binding obligations, we're even more vindicated by the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights, adopted in 1948,which provides in article 19 that, "everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression, this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impact information and ideas through any media and regardless of the frontiers".
This is the crust of the matter and the IGP must be told to wake up to the realities!He says, "We're learning from other countries".This postion and thinking is 'over the bar'.Does he know that what the Ugandan government did by placing a 4-day ban on social media during their general elections was an abuse of fundamental human rights? Indeed, Citizens of Uganda circumvented this abuse of a ban via Firechat, an App (peer - to - Peer connectivity) that works without the Internet and has been used by activists and demonstrators in places like Iraq and Hong Kong.
In the quest to access social media, many Ugandans turned to Virtual Private Networks (VPN), which reroute one's Internet connections through computers in other countries where the ban does not apply.Indeed, nearly 1.5 million people of Internet using populace downloaded VPN software to reroute thier Internet connection and return on social media, where discussions over the elections continued to rage.
Infact, I was on a platform(type and name withheld) where updates on the elections in Uganda were shared despite the ban.The location of strikes and roadblocks, location and brutal behaviour of police forces towards opposition supporters, the "preventive house arrest" of the Kizza Basigye, a close contender to the 30-years rulling president Gen.Y.K Museveni of National Resistance Movement Party who was re-elected for another five - year term were not news to me at all.
Akateng Isabella, an activist with Uganda Youth Network, said, "This is a lesson to the government that it's population is young and creative and very unwilling to be held to ransom".
When the communications commission learned that people were accessing Social media via encrypted apps, they send a statement to WBS TV.Uganda, which it posted on its facebook page, "We are going to track all those who are using them, and they are going to be arrested for treason".I guess this is the best practice the IGP is talking about?
Mr. IGP,find out what the throw back was when twitter was banned in Turkey....! The ban was circumvented and subsequently lifted after two weeks when the constitutional court ruled that the ban was a breach of the right to freedom of expression.
Before the IGP even think of this untold abuse of the 1992 constitution which is anchored on rule of law,he must know that,Ghana today is relatively peaceful because of our freedom of speach. Any attempt to take this away from the people can and will spark a revolution.  
If he insist on his decision, I can only reason with my prof.of communications Andrew Gadzekpo at the School of Communications studies, University of Ghana that,"we have a strong social media-loving public and social movement that will protest, and I will be one of those included in the protests".
I believe Ghanaians are out for peace and there are numerous workable alternatives to peace we can all explore.We did it before in 2012 and we will do it again in 2016. The IGP must be cautioned not to take Ghana back to the days of 'Coup d'etats'.He must be cautioned not to spark any unwarranted revolution in out dear country.
May God bless our homeland Ghana and make us bold and strong in the struggle to make our country a better place to live.

By ANANPANSAH, B ABRAHAM ( AB)
UNIVERSITY OF GHANA BUSINESS SCHOOL(UGBS )
0241129910 / 0200704844
aananapansah@yahoo.com / aananapansah@gmail.com

'Common sense' is better than a PhD - Legon Vice-Chancellor

‘Common Sense’ is better than a PhD– Legon Vice-Chancellor
Posted by ANANPANSAH, B ABRAHAM ( AB)
The Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ghana, Professor Ernest Aryeetey, whose tenure of office ends in August this year has stated that acquiring and applying common sense is more important than possessing a PhD.
In an interview on Radio Univers’ Campus Exclusive on Monday, Professor Ernest Aryeetey took the opportunity to address issues in the University of Ghana. He stated that, though a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) is important, one needs common sense in managing institutions or dealing with politicians as a manager of an academic institution.
‘Common sense mostly…Common sense and courage…that is all. A PhD is always important but common sense is the most important. You need enough common sense to assess what the student is telling you. You need enough common sense to go into an academic board meeting and debate issues. You need enough common sense to deal with politicians.’
He emphasized the application of common sense in determining what is good and bad for an academic community such as the University of Ghana.
‘By common sense, you are guided by knowing the difference between right and wrong, the difference between good and bad. You have that sense to do it. There is nothing that you’ll need to worry about.’
The Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ghana, Professor Ernest was earlier this month appointed to the Governing Council of the United Nations University. He was part of twelve (12) members appointed to serve on the governing council for terms of either three or six years.
Source: campusgraphic.com

SKIN BLEACHING IS A POTENTIAL KILLER

SKIN BLEACHING IS A POTENTIAL KILLER
God in His immensurable wisdom created every human being with a particular skin colour.The World Health Organisation endorse as fit this wisdom by recommending "Strengthening the message that everyone should be happy with their natural skin colour".
There is no gainsaying everyone, man or woman wants to have a flawlessly bright, clear and smooth skin tone.
Skin bleaching(Or Skin Whitening) inarguably is one of the most effective ways to achieve a brighter and clearer skin. It has become increasingly popular,so much so that,market places are flooded with several chemical peels, lasers and whitening creams that help better skin tone.
The question of why people bleach is, however, a very vexed one and does not lend itself to easy explanation .It baffles me,personally,as to why people bleach, especially, men....Is it for lack of confidence or inferiority complex?Your guess is yours and matters!
But studies shows that most people bleach and prefer lighter skins to get status and recognition in their group, family and society.In some parts of the world, It's believed that light and pale skin portrays beauty, richness and success.Dark  complexioned people are considered inferior and below standard. TV commercials among others also portray same - all these have a great impact on the minds of people and, thus,deepens the misconception about the white and dark skin colourisation.
As trends go, it does not take long to become white.But the effects of becoming white or pale artificially via the use of bleaching creams, pills and other products could take one a lifetime to battle with and may at worse lead one to his/her early grave.
This article explores the effects of skin bleaching and possible use of natural remedies for having clean and flawless skin.
Skin bleaching pose a health threat to practitioners.Some of the effects are immediate whiles others are seen after a prolonged usage of whitening creams....
A study published in the British Journal of Dermatology contends that those who had skin issues such as dermatitis,eczema, and acne were adversely affected by skin bleaching products.
According to drugs.com, skin bleaching products (especially those that contain hydroquinone) can make skin more vulnerable to the dangerous ultraviolet rays of the sun.
Prolonged use of skin lighteners can contribute to premature aging of skin and increased risk of skin cancer.Steroids in some skin lighteners may also increase risk for skin infections , skin thinning, severe birth defects and poor wound healing. A study published in the international Journal of Dermatology found that bleaching creams reduced or even impaired the wound healing ability in African subjects.
There is also risk of mild to severe allergic reactions such as irritant contact dermatitis and allergic contact dermatitis. According to DermNet NZ, irritant contact dermatitis is indicated by reddening of skin, mild stinging and mild itching.On the other hand, allergic contact dermatitis symptoms  are severe which include swelling, crusting, unusual discoloration of the skin, severe burning and itching of the treated area.
People who use bleaching products and skin whitening products that has hydrogen peroxide and benzoyl peroxide,may experience chemical reaction that could make skin dark and stained.A combination of the two ingredients could be more dangerous.
It's worthy to note that most of the bleaching creams contain dangerous material such as hydroquinone, Mercury, Azelaic acid, Arbutin, tretinoin, Kojic acid, niacinamido....
Instead of whitening or bleaching creams,the following natural remedies may be used for having a clear and flawless skin:
-Diet:this takes away refined food products and replaces them with healthy and nutritious one's.
-Papaye soap, milk,turmeric (grind up "face turmeric" with olive oil and chickpea flour),oatmeal and tomato juice also prove better natural options.
-Water:keeps skin hydrated, healthy and unblemished.
-Limes and lemons:Citric acid is a natural bleach without side effects. You can make a face mask with lime juice, few drops of glycerol and flour to make paste.Apply this on your face and leave for 20 - 30 minutes.Wash with normal water afterwards.
-Cleansing:effoliate skin from time to time to get rid of the old tanned cells and make way for new cells.
Ahoy, people! So you see! The next time you think of bleaching, think of the effects and explore more  natural options.
I say a big NO to skin bleaching or whitening and I entreat you to declare same without shame!
I  can hear someone say a big NO to bleaching and is ready to spread the message to all and all.To be continued....
May the good Lord bless us all....
The writer is a Teacher, a community Radio Advocate/presenter and a student.

BY:ANANPANSAH, B ABRAHAM ( AB)
UNIVERSITY OF GHANA BUSINESS SCHOOL ( STUDENT )
0241129910 / 0200704844
FACEBOOK : CRITICAL POLITICAL THINKER

Think Rasta; Think Righteousness; Think Africa; Think Freedom and development! Happy Celebration

1. “The truth is, everyone is going to hurt you. You just got to find the ones worth suffering for.” - Bob Marley
2. “I don’t know where life will lead me, but I know where I’ve been. I can’t say what life will show me, but I know what I’ve seen. Tried my hand at love and friendship, but all that is passed and gone. This little boy is moving on.” - Jimmy Cliff
3. “Some people feel the rain. Others just get wet.” - Bob Marley
4. “I’ve abused myself a lot over the years. But my voice is still intact – really, it’s better.” - Jimmy Cliff
5. “This world was not created piecemeal. Africa was born no later and no earlier than any other geographical area on this globe. Africans, no more and no less than other men, possess all human attributes, talents and deficiencies, virtues and faults.” - Haile Selassie I
6. “Peace is a day-to-day problem, the product of a multitude of events and judgments. Peace is not an ‘is’, it is a ‘becoming’.” - Haile Selassie I
7. “A man who says “I have learned enough and will learn no further” should be considered as knowing nothing at all.” - Haile Selassie I
8. “Sometimes that is why you might even stay in the bathroom for even half an hour, making that water running all over, just singing.” - Dennis Brown
9. “Well, until this very day, I’m still learning.” - Dennis Brown
10. “I don’t stand for the black man’s side; I don’t stand for the white man’s side. I stand for God’s side.” - Bob Marley
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11. “In the beginning there was the word. The word was Jah. The word is in I, Jah is in I. I make what is good, better, and what is better, best. I follow this in every aspect of life.” - Peter Tosh
12. “Open your eyes & look within, are you satisfied with the life you living?” - Bob Marley
13. “In the abundance of water, the fool is thirsty.” - Bob Marley
14. “Throughout history, it has been the inaction of those who could have acted; the indifference of those who should have known better; the silence of the voice of justice when it mattered most; that has made it possible for evil to triumph.” - Haile Selassie I
15. “Life and Jah are one in the same. Jah is the gift of existence. I am in some way eternal, I will never be duplicated. The singularity of every man and woman is Jah’s gift. What we struggle to make of it is our sole gift to Jah. The process of what that struggle becomes, in time, the Truth.” - Bob Marley
16. “The only difference between a good day and a bad day is your attitude.” - Dennis Brown
17. “A bird sitting on a tree is never afraid of the branch breaking, because her trust is not on the branch but on its own wings. Always believe in yourself” - Unknown
18. “You never know how strong you are until being strong is your only choice.” - Bob Marley
19. “Me only have one ambition, y’know. I only have one thing I really like to see happen. I like to see mankind live together – black, white, Chinese, everyone – that’s all.” - Bob Marley
20. “Just can’t live that negative way…make way for the positive day!" - Bob Marley

ARTICLE : SUPERSIZING AFRICA YOUTH POPULATION,A BLESSING OR A DISGUISE?

Feature Article of Thu, 19 Nov 2015
Supersizing African youth population, a blessing or a disguise?
Opinion
Let's arise youth of Africa! The time to spark the 21st-century revolutionary change is now!
Africa is that beautiful youngest continent replete with abundance of enviable natural resources.
As faith will have it, it is the only continent with a significantly growing youth population. Available data holds true that in less than three generations, 41% of the world's youth will be African. By 2035, Africa's labour force will be larger than China, and will account for 1/4 of the world's labour force.
Even though, the question of 'Youth' can sometimes take controversial definitional dimensions, the African Youth Charter adopted at the seventh ordinary session of the Assembly of Heads of State and Government of African Union in Banjul, Gambia, in July 2006, defines the youth as," a person between the age of 15 and 34 years".
There are some who will simply say it is a period of transition between childhood a
In Africa specifically, data from the United Nations Population Division show that in 2010, young people aged (15 - 24 years) accounted for 20.2%(209 million) of the total population.
Other accessible data points to the fact that over 60% of Africa's population are under 20 years of age, and majority of these are females. In 2050, youth will constitute:
18.6% of the population in central Africa; 18.5% in Eastern Africa;18.8% in Western Africa; 15.6% in Southern Africa;13.9% in North Africa and about 36.8% of Africa's workforce are youth.
At a quick glance of the figures, a critical curious mind will quickly ask some acutely critical questions:
Are these figures a sign of a demographic divident (a blessing/asset) or a disguise (liability)? Have governments (both past and present) created and shaped the environment enough through policy intervention to contain the urgent needs of these teaming masses of youth?
As a youth, are we developing or being given the chance to develop our capacities and potentials as imperatives of democratisation and the vision of a preferred future for Africa?
Conversely, the enthusiasm, edge, vim, verve and dynamism of African youth should have been an asset of blessing in advance but it is fast been reduced to a liability of blessing in disguise.The youth in unspoken words, hold and are the future and hope of Africa.But what are we trying to do to this bright promising future?
Even though, in 2009, three years after its launch, the African Youth Charter (AYC) urge member states to endorse and adopt the charter, and develop and implement national policy for the youth - in Ghana for instance, it was unclear whether the country had a national youth policy in place.
Ghana officially launched its national youth policy on August 12,2010, as part of International Day Celebration endorsed by UN general assembly.But since then, no significant change has been seen or felt. Infact, government programmes to promote youth employment and empowerment in Africa are essentially dysfunctional and propaganda tools in the 21st century.
According to staticstics from the 2012 Mo Ibrahim forum, Youth unemployment increases with educational level in Africa.Literacy is growing, but Africa still lags behind the rest of the world.Young Africans are more literate than their parents, but more unemployed.
In 2009, the youth unemployment rate was at 11.9% in Sub-Sahara Africa and 23.7% in North Africa. It has been estimated that out of about 250,000 young people entering the labour market annually, only 2%(50,000) get employed in the formal sector....
Agriculture which happen to be the backbone of the continent has been poorly developed and reduced to a poor and dirty man's job; making it highly unattractive to the youth. In rural areas, for instance, 53% of occupied rural youth are not into agriculture, but engaged in other activities. Less than 2% of African youth are studying agric.
Sadly enough,the youth are largely rendered nolle presequi in pursuing the dreams and visions of a better future for Africans by the older folks.
We are constantly, been employed by unscrupulous politicians and reduced as tools and stooges and subjected to selfish political tricks, emasculations, manipulations -and used as means to an end defined by the whims of selfishly corrupt leaders; instead of being seen as necessary partners in development.
Change they say is the only fact of life."Time and tide waits for no man--or person" -Shakespeare.
Along with change comes fear, threats and insecurity as well as challenges and opportunities.
In the dynamics of globalisation and change, what distinguish successful countries from less success ones is the existence of leaders with the capabilities of anticipating change and responding effectively in that light.
Unassailability true, the current generation of African leaders are failing to respond to the challenges of change and globalisation and to create an environment for the evolution of succeeding younger generations of leaders...It is also worthy of note that although today, we have a crop of potential young leaders, the socio-political and economic environment is impeding us from striving and standing for Africa.
The younger generation of Africans are highly educated with all the understanding of the trends in modern development but overwhelmed by the legacy of the past and present older folks, as well as the system, the glorification of mediocrity continues unabated!
Increasingly true, we cannot also run away from the fact that, our problems as Africans and a youth for that matter are deeply rooted in history.
Indeed, the persistent negative images painted about Africa as a violent prone continent unable to solve its own problems are particularly unhealthy and damaging.
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Making the youth cast doubts on our unlimited capabilities and confidence and immersing us in a complete psychological whirlpool of trauma.We are fast losing our cultural identity as a continent. Joseph K - zerbo once said, "It is not possible to cash a cheque drawn on someone's else's cultural bank account".
As a result of this lost cultural identity, we live in a continent that is fast exposed to the promiscuous dangers of westernisation and fast loosing confidence in its own potentials.
For instance, in 2007, an estimated 3.2 million young people were living with HIV in Sub-Saharan African alone, and 50% of all doctors trained in Ghana since 1980s are practicing in OECD...a host of other graduates prefer driving taxi cabs and doing other menial jobs in US and UK than staying home to develop Africa.
At a time when developed and developing countries are racing for the limited space in the 21st century, there is no room for idiosyncrasies or sentiments.We cannot whinger nor linger and continue to depend on tricky foreign aids and grants.
In the midst of the challenging lacunas and the seemingly negative unfavourable legacy, I am overly convinced as an advocate for the youth that the time is just right and the time is now to spark a revolutionary change. I feel a positive vibration of change across Africa through the youth.
Our numbers must not scare us. It should rather hint us that the dependency ratio on the continent will soon reduce with increasing labour force.
Youth is the spirit of adventure and awakening.It is the time of physical emerging. To be called a youth is not a process of being but rather becoming.Hence, let's begin changing our mindset in order to defeat mental slavery and pave the way forward for the continent to flourish.
As Samuel Ullman rightly put it,"youth is not a time of life;it is a state of mind; it is not a matter of rosy cheeks, red lips and supple knees; it is a matter of the will, quality of imagination, a vigor of the emotions; it is the freshness of the deep spring of life".
Yes, the youth are the hope and future of Africa but let's remember that, "A man who dread trials and difficulties cannot become a revolutionary.If he is to become a revolutionary with an indomitable fighting spirit, he must be tempered in the arduous struggle from his youth.As the saying goes, early training means more than late earnings"-Kim Jong II.
The vision of African renaissance should not be equated to manners that must fall from above.It simply has to take a critical crop of aggressive young leaders with the right competence, conscientization, entrepreneurial skills, integrity to drive the home grown revolutionary change.History must and i repeat for emphasis must not be repeated!
Let's be inspired by the apparent success of the Soviet Union and Communist China in rebuilding their societies and feeding their peoples.
Interesting enough, we will have no excuse letting African down.
Probably, the first generation of African leaders had their success and failure.Four decades of independence down the lane; we have learned and experienced. We have the past and present to guide and guard us.
We need to create and sustain the synergetic impulses of past and present generation of leaders. Whiles making justifiable pride in striving to annex the immutable component of dogma or fixed traditions by which we learn what to believe, thus, stucking us in prejudice and limitations and never free to change and grow by thinking critically...
As we progress along the journey lets be guided by the following words:
"...It is right and proper that we should know about our past.For just as the future moves from the present so the present has emerged from the past.Nor need we be ashamed of our past. There was much in it of glory.
What our ancestor achieved in the Context of their contemporary society gives us confidence that we can create, out of that past, a glorious future, not in terms of war or military pomps, but in terms of social progress and or peace... Our battles shall be against the old ideas that keep man trammelled in their own greed; against the crass stupidities that breed hatred, fear and inhumanity.
The heroes of our future will be those who can lead our people out of the stifling fog of disintegration through serfdom, into the valley of light where purpose, endeavour and determination will create that brotherhood which Christ proclaimed two thousand years ago, and about which so much is said, but little done".(Kwame Nkrumah, The Autobiography of Kwabena Nkrumah, 1957).
Yes, African youth arise! Your continent is calling you to be the game changers challenging the nay sayers whiles paving the way forward.
May God bless the continent Africa and deliver our leaders from the spirit of corruption and sheer greed...
Dedicated to all African youth in the youth struggle.Youth Advocacy is the source of inspiration behind this write up.
BY: Ananpansah, B. Abraham ( AB)
(Community Radio Youth Advocate and Student - University Of Ghana Business School)
Contact(s):0241129910 / 0200704844
Email (s):aananapansah@yahoo.com/aananapansah@gmail.com

nd adulthood.

Oh! What a woman

Oh!What a woman

What a woman,
With love beaming like a candle in the night
Brightening every corner,she is my source of joy and smile
She filled my void days with rainbow lights

My footsteps she ordered with God's might

In those moments mommies boy feel crippled,
She says:Son, rise up and be tripled

From cockcrow to twilight,her laughter ever rippled

Toil she taught me to understand was joy

Oh! What a woman
With tenderness that understands my tears
And a calm that takes away my fears
The journey took her nine months with nightmares not cheers

She was there when I took my first steps
And will never forget to tie my shoes,
Nor tuck me to bed
Her worry is what I will eat and where I have gone to

Oh! What a women
Help me thank her for all the free love, and care
For all the times she was always there.....
I love her with a 'SPECIAL LOVE' that runs deep every moment

Happy mother's Day! 

Dedicated to my special mum and all in motherhood.

 (Village writer) celebrates mothers'. 

AUTHOR:ANANPANSAH, B ABRAHAM ( AB)
A village Poet from the village
(0241129910 / 0200704844 )

ARTICLE : SUPERSIZING AFRICA YOUTH POPULATION,A BLESSING OR A DUSGUISE?

Feature Article of Thu, 19 Nov 2015
Supersizing African youth population, a blessing or a disguise?
Opinion
Let's arise youth of Africa! The time to spark the 21st-century revolutionary change is now!
Africa is that beautiful youngest continent replete with abundance of enviable natural resources.
As faith will have it, it is the only continent with a significantly growing youth population. Available data holds true that in less than three generations, 41% of the world's youth will be African. By 2035, Africa's labour force will be larger than China, and will account for 1/4 of the world's labour force.
Even though, the question of 'Youth' can sometimes take controversial definitional dimensions, the African Youth Charter adopted at the seventh ordinary session of the Assembly of Heads of State and Government of African Union in Banjul, Gambia, in July 2006, defines the youth as," a person between the age of 15 and 34 years".
There are some who will simply say it is a period of transition between childhood and adulthood.
In Africa specifically, data from the United Nations Population Division show that in 2010, young people aged (15 - 24 years) accounted for 20.2%(209 million) of the total population.
Other accessible data points to the fact that over 60% of Africa's population are under 20 years of age, and majority of these are females. In 2050, youth will constitute:
18.6% of the population in central Africa; 18.5% in Eastern Africa;18.8% in Western Africa; 15.6% in Southern Africa;13.9% in North Africa and about 36.8% of Africa's workforce are youth.
At a quick glance of the figures, a critical curious mind will quickly ask some acutely critical questions:
Are these figures a sign of a demographic divident (a blessing/asset) or a disguise (liability)? Have governments (both past and present) created and shaped the environment enough through policy intervention to contain the urgent needs of these teaming masses of youth?
As a youth, are we developing or being given the chance to develop our capacities and potentials as imperatives of democratisation and the vision of a preferred future for Africa?
Conversely, the enthusiasm, edge, vim, verve and dynamism of African youth should have been an asset of blessing in advance but it is fast been reduced to a liability of blessing in disguise.The youth in unspoken words, hold and are the future and hope of Africa.But what are we trying to do to this bright promising future?
Even though, in 2009, three years after its launch, the African Youth Charter (AYC) urge member states to endorse and adopt the charter, and develop and implement national policy for the youth - in Ghana for instance, it was unclear whether the country had a national youth policy in place.
Ghana officially launched its national youth policy on August 12,2010, as part of International Day Celebration endorsed by UN general assembly.But since then, no significant change has been seen or felt. Infact, government programmes to promote youth employment and empowerment in Africa are essentially dysfunctional and propaganda tools in the 21st century.
According to staticstics from the 2012 Mo Ibrahim forum, Youth unemployment increases with educational level in Africa.Literacy is growing, but Africa still lags behind the rest of the world.Young Africans are more literate than their parents, but more unemployed.
In 2009, the youth unemployment rate was at 11.9% in Sub-Sahara Africa and 23.7% in North Africa. It has been estimated that out of about 250,000 young people entering the labour market annually, only 2%(50,000) get employed in the formal sector....
Agriculture which happen to be the backbone of the continent has been poorly developed and reduced to a poor and dirty man's job; making it highly unattractive to the youth. In rural areas, for instance, 53% of occupied rural youth are not into agriculture, but engaged in other activities. Less than 2% of African youth are studying agric.
Sadly enough,the youth are largely rendered nolle presequi in pursuing the dreams and visions of a better future for Africans by the older folks.
We are constantly, been employed by unscrupulous politicians and reduced as tools and stooges and subjected to selfish political tricks, emasculations, manipulations -and used as means to an end defined by the whims of selfishly corrupt leaders; instead of being seen as necessary partners in development.
Change they say is the only fact of life."Time and tide waits for no man--or person" -Shakespeare.
Along with change comes fear, threats and insecurity as well as challenges and opportunities.
In the dynamics of globalisation and change, what distinguish successful countries from less success ones is the existence of leaders with the capabilities of anticipating change and responding effectively in that light.
Unassailability true, the current generation of African leaders are failing to respond to the challenges of change and globalisation and to create an environment for the evolution of succeeding younger generations of leaders...It is also worthy of note that although today, we have a crop of potential young leaders, the socio-political and economic environment is impeding us from striving and standing for Africa.
The younger generation of Africans are highly educated with all the understanding of the trends in modern development but overwhelmed by the legacy of the past and present older folks, as well as the system, the glorification of mediocrity continues unabated!
Increasingly true, we cannot also run away from the fact that, our problems as Africans and a youth for that matter are deeply rooted in history.
Indeed, the persistent negative images painted about Africa as a violent prone continent unable to solve its own problems are particularly unhealthy and damaging.
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Making the youth cast doubts on our unlimited capabilities and confidence and immersing us in a complete psychological whirlpool of trauma.We are fast losing our cultural identity as a continent. Joseph K - zerbo once said, "It is not possible to cash a cheque drawn on someone's else's cultural bank account".
As a result of this lost cultural identity, we live in a continent that is fast exposed to the promiscuous dangers of westernisation and fast loosing confidence in its own potentials.
For instance, in 2007, an estimated 3.2 million young people were living with HIV in Sub-Saharan African alone, and 50% of all doctors trained in Ghana since 1980s are practicing in OECD...a host of other graduates prefer driving taxi cabs and doing other menial jobs in US and UK than staying home to develop Africa.
At a time when developed and developing countries are racing for the limited space in the 21st century, there is no room for idiosyncrasies or sentiments.We cannot whinger nor linger and continue to depend on tricky foreign aids and grants.
In the midst of the challenging lacunas and the seemingly negative unfavourable legacy, I am overly convinced as an advocate for the youth that the time is just right and the time is now to spark a revolutionary change. I feel a positive vibration of change across Africa through the youth.
Our numbers must not scare us. It should rather hint us that the dependency ratio on the continent will soon reduce with increasing labour force.
Youth is the spirit of adventure and awakening.It is the time of physical emerging. To be called a youth is not a process of being but rather becoming.Hence, let's begin changing our mindset in order to defeat mental slavery and pave the way forward for the continent to flourish.
As Samuel Ullman rightly put it,"youth is not a time of life;it is a state of mind; it is not a matter of rosy cheeks, red lips and supple knees; it is a matter of the will, quality of imagination, a vigor of the emotions; it is the freshness of the deep spring of life".
Yes, the youth are the hope and future of Africa but let's remember that, "A man who dread trials and difficulties cannot become a revolutionary.If he is to become a revolutionary with an indomitable fighting spirit, he must be tempered in the arduous struggle from his youth.As the saying goes, early training means more than late earnings"-Kim Jong II.
The vision of African renaissance should not be equated to manners that must fall from above.It simply has to take a critical crop of aggressive young leaders with the right competence, conscientization, entrepreneurial skills, integrity to drive the home grown revolutionary change.History must and i repeat for emphasis must not be repeated!
Let's be inspired by the apparent success of the Soviet Union and Communist China in rebuilding their societies and feeding their peoples.
Interesting enough, we will have no excuse letting African down.
Probably, the first generation of African leaders had their success and failure.Four decades of independence down the lane; we have learned and experienced. We have the past and present to guide and guard us.
We need to create and sustain the synergetic impulses of past and present generation of leaders. Whiles making justifiable pride in striving to annex the immutable component of dogma or fixed traditions by which we learn what to believe, thus, stucking us in prejudice and limitations and never free to change and grow by thinking critically...
As we progress along the journey lets be guided by the following words:
"...It is right and proper that we should know about our past.For just as the future moves from the present so the present has emerged from the past.Nor need we be ashamed of our past. There was much in it of glory.
What our ancestor achieved in the Context of their contemporary society gives us confidence that we can create, out of that past, a glorious future, not in terms of war or military pomps, but in terms of social progress and or peace... Our battles shall be against the old ideas that keep man trammelled in their own greed; against the crass stupidities that breed hatred, fear and inhumanity.
The heroes of our future will be those who can lead our people out of the stifling fog of disintegration through serfdom, into the valley of light where purpose, endeavour and determination will create that brotherhood which Christ proclaimed two thousand years ago, and about which so much is said, but little done".(Kwame Nkrumah, The Autobiography of Kwabena Nkrumah, 1957).
Yes, African youth arise! Your continent is calling you to be the game changers challenging the nay sayers whiles paving the way forward.
May God bless the continent Africa and deliver our leaders from the spirit of corruption and sheer greed...
Dedicated to all African youth in the youth struggle.Youth Advocacy is the source of inspiration behind this write up.
BY: Ananpansah, B. Abraham ( AB)
(Community Radio Youth Advocate and Student - University Of Ghana Business School)
Contact(s):0241129910 / 0200704844
Email (s):aananapansah@yahoo.com/aananapansah@gmail.com

ARTICLE:USE LOCAL LANGUAGE TO CURTAIL GRATUITOUS DEBATE ON ERROR-RIDEN BROCHURE

Feature Article of Thu, 10 Mar 2016
Use local language to curtail gratuitous debate on error-riden brochure
I have followed with great disinterest and hobgoblin the unbroken debate surrounding the Event Brochure for the 59th Independence Day celebration.
The brochure which largely contained an outline of the programme of the celebration at the Black Star Square as well as some historical facts about Ghana was found to be riddled with a lot of unpardonable grammatical errors and some misrepresentations.
Infact, it has since become a popular subject on social media, radio and television programmes and talk shows ever since news broke about the error infested brochure, with some demanding that "heads must roll" to atone for the mistakes.
For many others, it is simply a national embarrassment and an indictment on the image of our dear country,especially,in the eyes of the international community.
As a concerned citizen of mother Ghana, I have followed the debate keenly and I'm sorry to say not only is this debate inconsequential, but highly unproductive and a mark of a "lost people".
I can't believe it! What are we spending our time and airtime discussing? Errors committed in the use of another man's language!The same people we drove away from our country years back...!With all the plenty talks, how many of us can really speak or write the Queen's language effortless without errors?
Don't you get it; it's not our language and we can't simply understand it that perfect no matter how hard we try. They set the rules and will continue to change the rules .You don't have to blame anybody in government or the information service department for what they probably didn't envision. Blame our mothers for imbuing us in the L1 right from birth.
I can't imagine the relief it would have brought the people of my community, if one - half of the time, energy and ideas used in discussing this trivial issue was spent in highlighting the water problem in the community.I can't equally imagine the investment ideas the youth will have been benefiting from, if same time we are spending in discussing some one's errors was expended in elaborating more, the team of the celebration, "Investing in the youth for Ghana's Transformation".Think about it.
Interesting enough, I have heard some people suggest that in order to prevent such occurrences moving into the future, not only should we involve people with competence to edit and proofread such national assignments, but if necessary, external actors should be involved to avert such inadvertent errors. External actors? This sort of thinking is not only flawed and lazy, but highly unproductive....
Instead of stretching our brains, the therapy is right here with us:lets awake the spirits of our sleeping identity by putting such national writeups in the local languages.That way, we will not need to invite external actors to correct us on the use of a borrowed language. If the international community is genuinely interested in reading about such events, they will employ the service of a local interpreter. And by so doing, we will see that we are indirectly creating jobs for our people. In fact, with the local language, no one apart from us can identity our own errors. Hence, no more national embarrassment in the use of a borrowed language.This may sound crazy on the surface. But a deep-rooted thinking and reflection will reveal sense in the coming days.
More so,it is high time we get to realise that language is one of the powerful modern tools used in corrupting our minds, colonising our sovereignty and killing our identity in this modern global race.
I have just passed my opinion and I believe as a country, we should be making strident efforts towards changing our way of thinking and doing things.We must save our sinking local languages!
May God bless our homeland Ghana and give us the foresight to think through and wake up to the reality that language is one of the newest tools for corrupting and colonising the black man.
By ANANPANSAH, B ABRAHAM ( AB)
UNIVERSITY OF GHANA BUSINESS SCHOOL
( 0241129910 / 0200704844 )

ARTICLE : Corruption is the cause of poverty and underdevelopment in Ghana

1 April 2016 | Feature Article
Corruption Is The Cause Of Poverty And Underdevelopment In Ghana
By Abraham Ananpansah
Corruption and its debilitating effects cut across all types of socio-economic and political systems and is a curse that afflicts many countries. It has become a major cause of concern throughout the world.Former US Vice-President, AL Gore did,indeed,admit to the position that 'Corruption is universal'(Banks World, June 1999 Vol.2 No 6).
Yes, corruption is widespread and a world phenomenon but the only qualification is that, it occurs more in some countries or continents than others. In Africa and for my purpose in Ghana,it has become nothing less than a blasphemy! Even laws, rules and regulation have failed in combating corruption with enforcers' and law makers turning out to be corrupt in themselves.
As mentioned in the book of Ph.D.V Chingo, "corruption can only be defined within a specific society and at a specific point in time".This cultural specific aspect of corruption is reflected in the division of so called black, white and grey corruption.Going by Chingo's assertion, permit me to define corruption by making reference to Archbishop Palmer-Buckel who in quoting from Transparency international sources, stated that:
"Corruption involves behaviour on the part of public officials in the public sector, whether politicians or civil servants, in which they improperly
and unlawfully enrich themselves or those close to them by misuse of public power entrusted to them" (Palmer - Buckle,1998).
Ghana as a country is blessed with abundant of natural resources far more than any other country in the world . Indeed, this may sound like a glory exaggeration.But it's a 'near reality'!I know at this point you may be cogitating and asking yourself;why then are we still brazen in untold poverty and underdevelopment?Hear me now, poverty is slapping the ordinary man in the face and development is eluding us because of corruption!Yes,Corruption!
Infact,A.J.P Taylor never minced words when he said,"There is nothing more agreeable in life than to make peace with establishment and nothing more corrupting".In no uncertain terms,corruption in any system has the tendency to undermine citizens moral, harm their job prospects and national development, infring upon fundamental human rights which is guaranteed under Chapter five of the 1992 fourth Republican constitution of Ghana,impede the quality of governance, endanger our sovereignty as a democratic country; and within the legal officialdom,without a free,fair and independent judiciary, graft effectively becomes the new "rule of law", a situation which paves way for the goat thieves to be hanged whiles the real criminals that engage in dubious massive judgement debts and procurement losses but can dig deep into their pockets walk scout free by simply buying justice on a silver platter with their ill-gotten money.
Paradoxically,whiles we complain of poverty and underdevelopment, our country loses at least $1 billion annually due to corruption with the figure projected to rise to $4 billion if anti corruption means are not instituted.I guess you know the value $1 billion in the lives of you and I...!
Corruption is estimated to raise household price of water by as much as 30% and general prices of goods by 20% (TI 2008).In the midst of these clear statistics, the ordinary Ghanaian is dieing of thirst and prices of goods and services are on the high rise!
Worth noting also,is the regretable fact that in each year's audit report over the last few decades,the Auditor General has made staggering revelations of cases of massive fraud, abuse and waste in the public service of Ghana . Interesting enough, indicted persons and institutions in these reports mostly go unpunished, without a single prosecution or retrieval of funds therefrom.It always end with the usual newspaper headlines, media hype and usual actioneless talk.
Have you ever imagined the number of lives that would have been changed positively if we had properly accounted for money's used during the Ghana at 50 celebration? How about that of Woyome? Talk of the diversion of state funds and wanton selling of state Bungalows and the recent bus branding Saga...The list is unending!
His excellency Dr.John Dramani Mahama scored all the points when he asserted, "Corruption is mass murder".Corruption in any imagination can wholly distort and undermine the cause of justice in many parts of the world, denying victims and the accused basic human rights to fair trial whiles widening the poverty gap between the rich and the poor.In corrupt societies, God given resources can never be distributed pari passu and the grass roots are always at the losing end.
Corruption they say is as old as the hills;We should all be angels in heaven if the world were totally free of corruption.
In the nick of time, the fight against corruption must involve society as a whole - the private sector, government, individuals,Non Governmental Organisations ( NGOs), Civil Society Organisations (CSOs), institutions (CHRAJ) among others.If our country is to work again, then corruption must be worked against!
This blasphemy of a canker is indeed worsening the situation of the poverty line and unjustifiably complicating life for the vulnerable poor and the time is right and now to say NO to corruption!
When I imagine the level of corruption by the very people entrusted with power to ensure distributional justice and I look back to reflect on the whining of my poor mother's and father's struggling to make ends meet and pay school fees, I feel like shedding tears.
Countryman, the time to wake up and fight the corrupt injustice in society is now! Thomas More was quoted saying,"I would uphold the law if for no other reason but to protect myself" and Kurt Cobain maintains that,"The duty of the youth is to challenge corruption".
As a youth and a concerned citizen of mother Ghana,lets all join hands in the national interest and say a big NO to corruption!Join me again to say a big NO to corruption!
May God bless our homeland Ghana and make us bold to defend the cause of freedom and justice.
By:ANAN PANSAH, B ABRAHAM ( AB)
(Teacher, Radio Presenter and Student - University Of Ghana Business School)
Phone Number (s): 0241129910/0200704844
aananapansah@yahoo.com / aananapansah@gmail.com
MORE FROM AUTHOR: (2 ARTICLES)
Corruption Is The Cause Of Poverty And Underdevelopment In Ghana
Ghana is 59; What should we really be Celebrating or reflecting towards change?

ARTICLE:Caught up in the whirlpool of judicial Corruption Scandal : Can the center of society and democracy hold?

Caught Up In The Whirlpool Of Judicial Corruption Scandal: Can The Center Of Society And Democracy Hold? A Wake Up Call
By B. Abraham (AB) Ananpansah
Corruption and its debilitating effects cut across all types of socio-economic and political systems and is a curse that afflicts many countries. It has become a major cause of concern throughout the world.Former US president, AL Gore did indeed,admit to the position that 'Corruption is universal'(Banks World, June 1999 Vol.2 No 6).In the words of A.J.P Taylor,"There is nothing more agreeable in life than to make peace with establishment and nothing more corrupting".
Corruption in any imagination can wholly distort and undermine the cause of justice in many parts of the world, denying victims and the accused basic human rights to fair trial whiles widening the poverty gap between the rich and the poor.Yes, corruption is widespread and a world phenomenon but the only qualification is that, it occurs more in some countries or continents than others. In Africa and for my purpose in Ghana,it has become nothing less than a blaspheme! Even laws, rules and regulation have failed in combating corruption with enforces and law makers turning out to be corrupt in themselves.
It is no longer news that Ghana has recently been hit by a popular corruption scandal expose' by the ace investigative journalist Anas Aremeyaw Anas bringing to light the massive rot in the judiciary arm of government...
As mentioned in the book of Ph.D.V Chingo, "corruption can only be defined within a specific society and at a specific point in time".This cultural specific aspect of corruption is reflected in the division of so called black, white and grey corruption.Going by Chingo's assertion, permit me to define corruption by making reference to Archbishop Palmer-Buckel who in quoting from Transparency international sources, stated that
"Corruption involves behaviour on the part of public officials in the public sector, whether politicians or civil servants, in which they improperly
and unlawfully enrich themselves or those close to them by misuse of public power entrusted to them" (Palmer - Buckle,1998).
Ever since the massive rot in the judiciary was exposed, its common to read in the papers and news catchy headline stories like the following:
Bribery scandal rocks judiciary - graphiconline.com.gh
Judicial scandal:Ajet - Nassam hands in official vehicles, resignation letter rejected-modernghana.com
Breaking:22 judges suspended - modernghana.com:9 September 2015 19:36 CET
-14 judges storm Supreme Court to stop disciplinary proceedings - myjoyonline.com:11th-September-2015,2:05:28 pm
-Trotro driver dresses like Anas to scare off corrupt police-peacefmonline.com
-Anas releases list of 'incorruptible' judges who refused to collect bribes - graphiconline.com.gh
-Former prez Rawlings wads into judicial Corruption Scandal saying indicted judges are motivated by greed just as some of our politicians-starfmonline.com and many more...
It is important to note that,what the undercover investigative journalist revealed about our demigods(Judges) may be shocking but obviously not new to Ghanaians. It's just a vindication of what we had long held as an opinion and complained about in fear to have been happening in the judiciary.Infact, appointed in 2003,Chief Justice Kingsley Acquah acknowledges speaking in Accra in November,2003, he accepted corruption is a national problem and urged that criticisms of judges should be seen as a means of correcting their mistakes and keeping corruption in check.
The 2005 Afrobarometer report on the performance of public institutions also revealed that the courts where one of the least trusted institutions, second to the police, with only a marginal increase in trust between 2002 and 2005. It must not also be lost on us that the level of corruption been exposed in the judiciary only reflect and mirrors the corruption in society as a whole, since, the law is a product of society and as Thomas Hobbes rightly put it,"it is not wisdom but authority that makes the law".This is probably the reason why a clean judiciary is central to the anti corruption fight.
The variation, however,between the corruption in the judiciary and the society in general which is why we should all be worried this day and hour about the recent massive corruption scandal in the legal officialdom is that corruption within that frame exposes our democracy to danger, allowing corrupt public officials and interest groups engaged in corrupt practices to function with the confidence that if exposed, their illicit acts will go unpunished.As clearly reiterated by Transparency international, "Where judicial Corruption occurs, the damage can be pervasive and extremely dangerous to reverse", because, it sends a blunt message to the people that corruption in this country is tolerated, since, the custodians of the law themselves are engaged in it.
It also has the tendency to undermine citizens moral, harm their job prospects and national development, infring upon fundamental human rights which is guaranteed under Chapter five of the 1992 fourth Republican constitution of Ghana,impede the quality of governance, endanger our sovereignty as a democratic country; and without a free,fair and independent judiciary, graft effectively becomes the new "rule of law", a situation which paves way for the goat thieves to be hanged whiles the real criminals that engage in dubious massive judgement debts and procurement losses but can dig deep into their pockets walk scout free by simply buying justice on a silver platter with their ill gotten money.
Before I dare into the debate on the possible causes of corruption in the judiciary,it is important to still underscore that amid the recent gloom that envelopes the judiciary today,I know it may be right and even justified to lament bitterly,since, its horrifying that we have to fight our own judges to clean up the environment.But that notwithstanding,the rest of us cannot pretend to be angels and I repeat for the purpose of emphasis,'We can't pretend to be angels'.
I can state with Vim and verve that we are all complicit when it comes to allegations of corruption - right from teachers, nurses, messengers,street hawkers ad infinitum that may engage in petty or survival corruption at the lower level to top level corruption (grand corruption) by top level public officers and politicians involving huge transactions as well as huge public procurement losses at the central, metropolitan, municipal, and district level of governance.
I agree with Ghana's first president when he emphatically stated that,"At long last, the battle has ended and now Ghana, our beloved country is free forever".Point well made, the battle indeed of political liberation is over but the unending battle against corruption, greed and selfishness has just begun.
From my painstaking research, I wish to now dare into the debate on the possible causes of corruption in the judiciary since identifying the causes is a starting point to devising strategies to fight the canker(corruption) and restore confidence in the judiciary.But in doing so, I will as much as practical be circumspect in order not to condescend or pass judgemental phrases.
The starting point of judicial Corruption is the mode and criteria of appointing and promoting judges.Chapter eleven Article 144 of the 1992 fourth Republican constitution of Ghana states that:(1) The Chief Justice shall be appointed by the president acting in consultation with the council state and with the approval of Paliament.
(2) The other Supreme Court Justices shall be appointed by the president acting on the advice of the judicial council, in consultation with the council of state and with the approval of Paliament....The list goes on and on to cover the rest of the members of the judiciary.
Upon critically reading the above article of the constitution, I ask myself a simple question,'Who is the Judiciary accountable to? And the simple answer is:the law and the general public it serves.With the above mode of appointment, is it not possible that the judiciary instead of being accountable to the law and the people will rather be under undue influence to respond to the executive and the judiciary branches in appointments, promotions, transfers and removals?There should be room for widening the mode of appointing judges which must be merit based and follow a clear published criteria.Maybe, considerations for an independent judiciary appointing body acting independent of the executive and judiciary will do the magic.Legal practitioners can also be involved in the appointment of judges.
Another cause of judicial Corruption that is closely linked with the above is the politicisation of the selection and promotion process of judges which predisposes judges as tools of "bigwigs" in government.This make judges susceptible to endorsing the whims of a particular regime for promotions.The flip side of this is those political regimes also turning out to endorse the corrupt practices of such judges leaving the ordinary man vulnerable to tricks and manipulations.
This is the reason why in our country, huge sums of monies belonging to the public are lost to judgement debts under clear and untainted evidence.We have also had instances where documented allegations of corruption in the judiciary have been swept under the carpet without any successful prosecution.For instance, a judge was reportedly bribed to issue a restraining order against a person seeking to establish a complaint against the Christ Apostolic Church.The judge at the time reportedly refused to sign her own document in order to frustrate the litigant from appealing her decision(Ghanaian chronicle (Ghana),21 June,2000).How about the case between the two high court judges, Boateng and Owusu (2006) and that of Justice Anthony ( 2004).There are several other documented instances where judges whose decisions are subject to appeal have abused their discretion to stay proceedings in order to deny litigants the opportunity to appeal.
There is no point running away from the fact that,the remuneration and conditions of service of judges is also to a large extend linked with their corruption. Low salaries does not attract qualified legal personnel or retain them.Poor conditions of service, unfair judicial pensions, lack of resources and underfunding coupled with the lack of security of tenure,low respect and prestige to compensate for low earnings make judges susceptible to corruption.We have had instances in Ghana, where judicial officers declared strike action(s) in demand for better conditions of service among others.This judges are humans and definitely need better salaries and conditions of service to support their families in a secure environment.Eventhough justice is not for sale, when this people are tempted with some few cash in the backdrop of harsh financial conditions, they are likely to sell out the cause of justice for the cash.
Another important fact worth noting and which has been a public concern is the lack of clear separation between the Attorney-General's Department and the ministry of justice.The mere fact that public prosecutors based on the general principles of the roman model are subject to the ministry of justice encourages the executive to interfere in the judiciary either via spoken order or written directives, hence the saying that, "The public prosecutor's department is the armed wing of the executive inside the judiciary".
Last but not least, is the prolonged formalism and time needed to arrive at judicial decisions and the technical jargons associated with the court system.Eventhough Ghana has chalked a lot of successes in this regard by adopting the computerised judicial system, a lot still need to be done, especially, in demystifying the complexities the history of the judicial institution has presented.Our justice system is inherited and the official language of justice is English.But the interesting question is,how many of us understand this language very well? We are constantly been confused day- in- day out with some legal jargons.
A situation which clearly impede the transparency in the judicial system and increase the lack of confidence and trust of the ordinary man like myself in the judiciary,since, it is perceived to be a place only for the rich and powerful!This case is clearly seen in a UNDP study of rural justice where it was found that people in poor villages were reluctant to engage with the formal legal system because they viewed the police and the courts as a luxury for the rich.They took their disputes instead to the local panchayat.
This technicalities also give self seeking judges the strategic leeway and monopoly to manipulate the law for their own selfish interest.Klitgaard(1998), in his work on controlling corruption intimated that corruption could be defined as, C=M+D-A, meaning corruption is likely to occur in a system where there is extreme monopoly over resources, plus the exercise of discretion, minus accountability.A clear and simplified judicial system devoid of monopoly of language and technical jargons is the way to go.
In a nutshell,I want to agree with the TI's Global Corruption Report(2007) on corruption and the judicial system that,"Decent working conditions, fair appointments, Accountability and Discipline, and Transparency are four policy positions that can prevent corruption in the judiciary".Whiles I humbly entreat the Chief Justice and the legal officialdom as well as all concerned to exercise professionalism in handling the Anas Aremeyaw Anas undercover of the massive corruption rot in the judiciary,in order to restore the confidence of the Ghanaian in the judiciary,I also wish to add that, judges are not angels, the fight against corruption must involve society as a whole - the private sector, government, individuals,Non Governmental Organizations ( NGOs), Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) among others....
Corruption is indeed worsening the situation of the poverty line and unjustifiably complicating life for the vulnerable masses and it's hight time we say NO to corruption.When I imagine the level of corruption by the very people entrusted with power to ensure distributional justice and I look back to reflect on the wailing of my poor mothers and fathers in my community struggling to make ends meet and pay school fees, I feel like shedding tears.
The time to wake up and fight the corrupt injustice in society is now! Thomas More was quoted saying,"I would uphold the law if for no other reason but to protect myself" and Kurt Cobain maintains that,"The duty of the youth is to challenge corruption".As a youth and a concerned citizen of mother Ghana,lets all join hands in the national interest and say a big NO to corruption!Join me again to say a big NO to corruption!
May God bless our homeland Ghana and make us bold to defend the cause of freedom and justice.
ANAN PANSAH, B ABRAHAM ( AB)
(Teacher, Radio Presenter and Student - University Of Ghana Business School)
Phone Number (s): 0241129910/0200704844

News:We have being disrespected – Gonjaland Musicians fume

We have being disrespected - Gonjaland Musicians fume
In what turned out to be an all-blame press conference held at the Ras Banku Cinema centre,the Gonjaland Musicians Union expressed utter letdown in what they describe as ungracious treatment of some of their members during the event of the crowd-pleasing Fancy Gadam show that megahit Damongo a couple of days ago.
Disclosing to the press, the president of the association popularly known as Father Bronzy averred that they were simply not happy with the manner events are been organised in the town.According to him, event organisers simply do not regard they the Gonjaland musicians."We have been offended as brothers and we are not happy about the development".He stated rather emotionally.He went perfervid when he used his personal experience to drum home the point of the association.How he was given only Gh30.00 to travel from Techiman to Damongo to be part of the Fancy show out of brotherly love for the event organisers only to be given a distasteful reception and treatment as compared to the red carpet rolled out to the guest artist.
Most of the musicians also expounded concerns about the fact that they were not informed before their faces were put on the bill as performing local artist.And that all they wanted was due recognition and respect but not money."I was on my way to buy yam when I noticed that my name and face was captured as a performing local artist at the show. I was surprised and made up my mind never to turn up for the show if due recognition and information was not given me".Big Dorley asserted. 
In responding to the issues, the Business-man-now-turned-event organiser never minced words when he stated, "I'm a business man and it has being my dream to organise such a show".He accordingly stated that he was looking at the best way to promote his business without making loses, and that the said local musicians contracted to be part of the show never demanded any payment to which he declined.
"I'm new to the industry and so decided to contract KGee to lead me through the organization. I never anticipated the outcome will be my name been discussed on the radio as spending Gh2000.00 to bring a Tamale based local musicians to Damongo and thus disregarding the local based musicians".Stated the risk taking business man.
In looking at the way forward, the local based Gonjaland musicians were counseled to go back to the drawing board and resolve to resolve their differences.

By ANANPANSAH, B ABRAHAM ( AB)
Pad FM News Desk

ARTICLE : Exploring the educational circles; the Teacher related factor

Exploring The Educational Circles; The Teacher Related Factor
By Anan Pansah, B Abraham (AB)
It was once upon a time remarked by the most renowned president of South Africa Nelson Mandela that,"Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world".Indeed, the foundation of every successful country is its education....
Needless to state that,there can be no successful logically constructed tenable argument against the fact that education is a best safeguard of society, human liberty and the underpinning bedrock of the development of every nation -re echoed!
The world,as the tradition goes celebrated World Teachers Day on the 5th of October, 2015, under the theme,"Empowering teachers, building sustainable societies".Here-in mother Ghana, we celebrated our noble teachers under the theme, 'invest in the future, invest in teachers'.Yes, why not? We must invest in teachers in order to secure the unknown future.An investment in teachers will obvoiusly yield the greatest divident for the nation, since,they are at the core of society and education.Not to overemphasize, this noble men touch the future positively and are capable of turning mirrors to windows; darkness to light.God, forgive me if I have just blasphemed for its not intended.
After reading the theme for this year's celebration 'over and over again',I asked myself a very simple but fascinating question,are we really investing in teachers?As a country that is dedicating over 20% of its expenditure on education, are we really serious about investing in the future through the teacher? And the answer keep resounding,No! No! No!
The question of whether or not the day should really be called 'teachers day' is a debate I will reserve for another day.Because,even though,some of us by privy of being in the media landscape were quite aware of such a day, I can tell you,a lot of teachers were simply not aware of such a day, since,they were busy in the classrooms.In the Ghanaian calendar,we have a number of national and international events such as farmers day,founder's day, Africa Union day, Republic day been declared public holidays.So, why can't we declare 'Teachers Day' a public holiday to increase awareness and bring to burden the importance of resting and celebrating the teacher.I hope I'm not been lazy here.But as I said, I reserve this debate for another day.
As a professional young teacher myself and serving in this noble 'God-given' profession for over two years now,and haven't humbly agreed in the interest of my country to serve in two most deprived communities in my district,I can tell you without equivocating that the challenges are simply exponentially mounting!I sometimes even wonder whether the teacher really matter:Low status, poor teacher motivation, no promise of further advancement.I can go on and on....
Let me be quick to state that, as a devoted Christian,I will be the first to endorse the fact that the reward of the teacher is in heaven.But be that as it stands, does this necessary dispute the fact that, the teacher has children and must honour his fatherly and motherly responsibility of funding for their education as per moral and legal law? No!Does that also take away the stance that the teacher need to put body and soul together-by acquiring the basic necessities of life? No!
I tell you, I have paid my dues by rendering varied services in my capacity as a professionally trained teacher for over two years now without receiving salary arrears legally due me, and I doubt whether I will ever receive it if not for political expediency.So tell me, where is the investment?In fact, It is only in Ghana that it has to take series of labour unrest (strikes) to get the legal demands of teachers met.Sometimes, this government preventable strikes can last for over a month, probably, because teachers don't render the 'so called essential service', and more so, the affected ones are always the powerless vulnerable majority.After pretentiously playing the public gimmickry to please you and I,this powerful politicians and the proletarians will always have the assurance that their own 'golden children' are studying in the best school abroad and so, to hell with strikes.It is only in Ghana that the necessary teaching learning materials are lacking or in short supply, yet teachers are expected to produce the best results by performing magic and wonders.I agree and in fact, I will have no point running away from the fact that, we as teachers can use our igenuity to innovate some of these materials.But the fact still remains that most of them like the text books, chalks, teachers guide, syllabus inter alia need to just be supplied from above.In the midst of this gloom,tell me why I shouldn't agree with the following assertion by Charles Kurait,"When we become a really mature, grown-up, wise society, we will put teachers at the center of the community, where they belong, we don't honour them enough, we don't pay them enough".
As a country and as we continue to celebrate teachers on the global scene, lets pause for a moment and take a sober reflection of were we are falling apart and were we are making positive strides in empowering the teacher to deliver a better future.Increasingly true, the foundations of education are being destroyed and we are duty called as a chosen generation to rise and build as Williams Akuffo Addo will choose to put it;as well as challenge the status quo in the name of posterity.
Yes,the teacher related factor need to be seriously looked at again.You may succeed in doing away with teacher absenteeism and the rest.But an emotionally dumpen and lowly motivated teacher will still deliver nothing on the job.He will only pretend to be working just to justify the salary.As Donald Norman rightly put it,"We expert teachers know that motivational and emotional impact are what matter".
Let us together as a country rise up and inspire the teacher to produce results.Government must rise above the usual sugar coated 'talk talk' and promises and be proactively committed as well as dedicated in meeting the justified demands of the teacher.Teachers may not expect to be given silver and gold.But motivation, conditions of service and a slightly dignified life are not out of place to be demanded by the noble teacher.
In fact, not withstanding the circumstances, we will continue to diligently serve for the seek of God and country.
May God bless our homeland Ghana, may God bless the teacher of yesterday and today.
By ANANPANSAH, B ABRAHAM ( AB)
( Teacher, and Radio Presenter)
0241129910 / 0200704844

ARTICLE : Ghana is 59; Should we really be Celebrating or reflecting towards change?

Ghana is 59; Should we be celebrating or reflecting towards change?
Sunday 6th March , 2016 6:00 am
Hurray! Ghana is 59;should we really be celebrating or reflecting towards change…?
It was on the 6th of March, out of a task that was daunting and might, a man with great valor descended words like thundercloud from mars:”At long last, the battle has ended! And thus, Ghana your beloved country is free forever!”
Yeah yeah!That was the eloquent and enthusiastic voice of my gallant first president.And worth as it was, the crowd with eyes widely opened cheered, hurray!Yes, it was a clean break and our country was given the long rope to think – free and build bridges again without looking neither East nor West but forward.
Infact,our forbearers haven’t fought and won the battle as expected. They were confronted with the challenges of independence which in itself was a novelty, but were never overwhelmed by that fact and hence did more than Napoleon to avoid any penalties therefrom by taking useful steps to lay the foundation of our dear country.
This was visible in the massive industrialization. Indeed, the country was very young, but their vision for the infant rare noun (Ghana) was long and we don’t need to go any yonder to find the burden of that vision. It was a vision far beyond just political freedom.A vision of hope and transformation.
And the message therein carried by the founder Dr . Kwame Nkrumah was clear enough, “Countrymen,the task ahead is great indeed, and heavy is the responsibility; and yet it is a noble and glorious challenge – a challenge which calls for the courage to dream, the courage to believe, the courage to dare, the courage to do, the courage to envision, the courage to fight, the courage to work, the courage to achieve the highest excellence and the fullest greatness of man.
Dare we ask for more in life?” Indeed, dare we ask for more in life!The message was thus simple! They have laid their lives.They have prepared the way.
And as birds of passage at the mercy of the creator’s say, are now eternally away!59 years down the lane, the baton has been handed over to successive crop of leaders to continue the leadership marathon race by intensifying the political freedom so anchored with extensions in economic freedom, financial freedom, freedom of the mind ad infinitum.
It is once again here, 59th Anniversary of our independence under the theme, “investing in the Youth for Ghana’s Transformation.”
Yes, it’s worth investing in the youth of our generation.
But before we start investing in the youth, lets start reflecting on the truth:
After many decades of independence, have those so entrusted with power continued the vision, ideas, policies and transformation agenda of the founder?Have we invested in the youth already or we are now to start doing so in speech?
Have our trustees led us in trust to reshape our destiny as a country through functional policy directions to justifiably pride ourselves as the beacon of democracy in Africa, and for that matter, the first African country South the Sahara to gain independence?
Guided by our present condition and consciousness, should our independence day provide a cause to celebrate the gains or a recourse to reflect again and think about our collective failures towards a change?Well, your answers might just be right as mine.
We are fifty-nine; several decades after independence, and as the age-long tradition goes, instead of reflecting to liberate the youth from unemployment and dysfunctional policies towards employment, we will be reviewing a national punishment of school children, voluntary organisations and security services under the scorching sun to atone for mediocrity or what Dr.Mensah Otabil refers to as “Ordinariness.”
We will be planting history wrongly in the minds of these innocent kids.
Let’ s not be repeating history.Lets think again and reflect for change.Empower the youth – employ them!
Countrymen, I humbly submit that it’s a point of reflection and change when after so many decades of independence, and with all the minerals, cocoa, oil, water, power and fertile lands, the masses are still enslaved in unbridled poverty with little or no access to education and basic health care.
When our educational system is still highly colonial in nature. Or is it the case of what Nkrumah said which I have slightly modified, “Ghana is a paradox which illustrates and highlights neocolonialism.
Her earth is rich in natural resources, yet the products that come from above and below the soil continue to enrich, not Ghanaians predominantly, but the west or groups and individuals who work to Ghana’s impoverishment”.
Imagine this blank truth:after these many years, we feel very proud and content to kneel before the very people we boldly told in the face,”the black man is capable of managing his own affairs! for aid?
These words were meant with action from the founding fathers but we long lost the vision and reaction,and surprisingly are not learning any lessons. As if he knew, Nkrumah rightly warned us against dependence on capitalist global institutions such as UNO and the Breton Woods institutions such as IMF and world Bank. But a stubborn child is always a stubborn child and will not hearken to wise counsel. Such a child is like the prodigal son who after lavishing all his due in wild living would have to bow his head down in shame and return to where he had known for forgiveness and support.
Today,we are being forced to accept former Guatanamo Bay detainees into our country despite the security threat that it may pose, because any action to the contrary will mean, No more aid! It started with gay rights and as God fearing as we believe ourselves to be, it was rejected with no dejection.Who knows what is next? We should be reflecting on these and not intensifying the colonial legacy of parading students as a punishment . Yes, we are punishing the students!And you know what?I was also punished before….
Agriculture which happens to be our backbone and major informal sector employer is reported to be on the verge of collapse by the World Bank.This should be a cause for reflection and change not celebration.
Countrymen,this is our current state and an honest assessment of our individual and collective situation will reveal shame. But I can clearly state without equivocating, that there is still hope for my country no matter the circumstances. And that hope is you and must be reborn on common sense revolution and national reconstruction.We must think again and reap the gain! Let us together as a country, put our best foot forward and scrape the transformation agenda together. Let us whistle in the night with eyes wide open.We can’t be comfortably glorifying mediocrity year – in – year out. It’s an error!It is equally an error to be matching when the masses are ironically “laughing”.
It doesn’t happen that way.
Ghana was born in me.
I love my country and challenge you at this point in history to stay awake and say:We will not sleep anymore!No more blind politics.Development we must get. Poverty we must not.
I hope you read and appreciate this piece like a Ghanaian(statesman) and not a politician.
May God bless our homeland Ghana and make us great and strong to build a better nation.
By:Ananpansah, B. Abraham (AB)
UNIVERSITY OF GHANA BUSINESS SCHOOL ( STUDENT )
EMAIL ADDRESS:aananapansah@yahoo.com / aananapansah@gmail.com

ARTICLE:Caught up in the whirlpool of judicial Corruption Scandal : Can the center of society and democracy hold?

Caught Up In The Whirlpool Of Judicial Corruption Scandal: Can The Center Of Society And Democracy Hold? A Wake Up Call
By B. Abraham (AB) Ananpansah
Corruption and its debilitating effects cut across all types of socio-economic and political systems and is a curse that afflicts many countries. It has become a major cause of concern throughout the world.Former US president, AL Gore did indeed,admit to the position that 'Corruption is universal'(Banks World, June 1999 Vol.2 No 6).In the words of A.J.P Taylor,"There is nothing more agreeable in life than to make peace with establishment and nothing more corrupting".
Corruption in any imagination can wholly distort and undermine the cause of justice in many parts of the world, denying victims and the accused basic human rights to fair trial whiles widening the poverty gap between the rich and the poor.Yes, corruption is widespread and a world phenomenon but the only qualification is that, it occurs more in some countries or continents than others. In Africa and for my purpose in Ghana,it has become nothing less than a blaspheme! Even laws, rules and regulation have failed in combating corruption with enforces and law makers turning out to be corrupt in themselves.
It is no longer news that Ghana has recently been hit by a popular corruption scandal expose' by the ace investigative journalist Anas Aremeyaw Anas bringing to light the massive rot in the judiciary arm of government...
As mentioned in the book of Ph.D.V Chingo, "corruption can only be defined within a specific society and at a specific point in time".This cultural specific aspect of corruption is reflected in the division of so called black, white and grey corruption.Going by Chingo's assertion, permit me to define corruption by making reference to Archbishop Palmer-Buckel who in quoting from Transparency international sources, stated that
"Corruption involves behaviour on the part of public officials in the public sector, whether politicians or civil servants, in which they improperly
and unlawfully enrich themselves or those close to them by misuse of public power entrusted to them" (Palmer - Buckle,1998).
Ever since the massive rot in the judiciary was exposed, its common to read in the papers and news catchy headline stories like the following:
Bribery scandal rocks judiciary - graphiconline.com.gh
Judicial scandal:Ajet - Nassam hands in official vehicles, resignation letter rejected-modernghana.com
Breaking:22 judges suspended - modernghana.com:9 September 2015 19:36 CET
-14 judges storm Supreme Court to stop disciplinary proceedings - myjoyonline.com:11th-September-2015,2:05:28 pm
-Trotro driver dresses like Anas to scare off corrupt police-peacefmonline.com
-Anas releases list of 'incorruptible' judges who refused to collect bribes - graphiconline.com.gh
-Former prez Rawlings wads into judicial Corruption Scandal saying indicted judges are motivated by greed just as some of our politicians-starfmonline.com and many more...
It is important to note that,what the undercover investigative journalist revealed about our demigods(Judges) may be shocking but obviously not new to Ghanaians. It's just a vindication of what we had long held as an opinion and complained about in fear to have been happening in the judiciary.Infact, appointed in 2003,Chief Justice Kingsley Acquah acknowledges speaking in Accra in November,2003, he accepted corruption is a national problem and urged that criticisms of judges should be seen as a means of correcting their mistakes and keeping corruption in check.
The 2005 Afrobarometer report on the performance of public institutions also revealed that the courts where one of the least trusted institutions, second to the police, with only a marginal increase in trust between 2002 and 2005. It must not also be lost on us that the level of corruption been exposed in the judiciary only reflect and mirrors the corruption in society as a whole, since, the law is a product of society and as Thomas Hobbes rightly put it,"it is not wisdom but authority that makes the law".This is probably the reason why a clean judiciary is central to the anti corruption fight.
The variation, however,between the corruption in the judiciary and the society in general which is why we should all be worried this day and hour about the recent massive corruption scandal in the legal officialdom is that corruption within that frame exposes our democracy to danger, allowing corrupt public officials and interest groups engaged in corrupt practices to function with the confidence that if exposed, their illicit acts will go unpunished.As clearly reiterated by Transparency international, "Where judicial Corruption occurs, the damage can be pervasive and extremely dangerous to reverse", because, it sends a blunt message to the people that corruption in this country is tolerated, since, the custodians of the law themselves are engaged in it.
It also has the tendency to undermine citizens moral, harm their job prospects and national development, infring upon fundamental human rights which is guaranteed under Chapter five of the 1992 fourth Republican constitution of Ghana,impede the quality of governance, endanger our sovereignty as a democratic country; and without a free,fair and independent judiciary, graft effectively becomes the new "rule of law", a situation which paves way for the goat thieves to be hanged whiles the real criminals that engage in dubious massive judgement debts and procurement losses but can dig deep into their pockets walk scout free by simply buying justice on a silver platter with their ill gotten money.
Before I dare into the debate on the possible causes of corruption in the judiciary,it is important to still underscore that amid the recent gloom that envelopes the judiciary today,I know it may be right and even justified to lament bitterly,since, its horrifying that we have to fight our own judges to clean up the environment.But that notwithstanding,the rest of us cannot pretend to be angels and I repeat for the purpose of emphasis,'We can't pretend to be angels'.
I can state with Vim and verve that we are all complicit when it comes to allegations of corruption - right from teachers, nurses, messengers,street hawkers ad infinitum that may engage in petty or survival corruption at the lower level to top level corruption (grand corruption) by top level public officers and politicians involving huge transactions as well as huge public procurement losses at the central, metropolitan, municipal, and district level of governance.
I agree with Ghana's first president when he emphatically stated that,"At long last, the battle has ended and now Ghana, our beloved country is free forever".Point well made, the battle indeed of political liberation is over but the unending battle against corruption, greed and selfishness has just begun.
From my painstaking research, I wish to now dare into the debate on the possible causes of corruption in the judiciary since identifying the causes is a starting point to devising strategies to fight the canker(corruption) and restore confidence in the judiciary.But in doing so, I will as much as practical be circumspect in order not to condescend or pass judgemental phrases.
The starting point of judicial Corruption is the mode and criteria of appointing and promoting judges.Chapter eleven Article 144 of the 1992 fourth Republican constitution of Ghana states that:(1) The Chief Justice shall be appointed by the president acting in consultation with the council state and with the approval of Paliament.
(2) The other Supreme Court Justices shall be appointed by the president acting on the advice of the judicial council, in consultation with the council of state and with the approval of Paliament....The list goes on and on to cover the rest of the members of the judiciary.
Upon critically reading the above article of the constitution, I ask myself a simple question,'Who is the Judiciary accountable to? And the simple answer is:the law and the general public it serves.With the above mode of appointment, is it not possible that the judiciary instead of being accountable to the law and the people will rather be under undue influence to respond to the executive and the judiciary branches in appointments, promotions, transfers and removals?There should be room for widening the mode of appointing judges which must be merit based and follow a clear published criteria.Maybe, considerations for an independent judiciary appointing body acting independent of the executive and judiciary will do the magic.Legal practitioners can also be involved in the appointment of judges.
Another cause of judicial Corruption that is closely linked with the above is the politicisation of the selection and promotion process of judges which predisposes judges as tools of "bigwigs" in government.This make judges susceptible to endorsing the whims of a particular regime for promotions.The flip side of this is those political regimes also turning out to endorse the corrupt practices of such judges leaving the ordinary man vulnerable to tricks and manipulations.
This is the reason why in our country, huge sums of monies belonging to the public are lost to judgement debts under clear and untainted evidence.We have also had instances where documented allegations of corruption in the judiciary have been swept under the carpet without any successful prosecution.For instance, a judge was reportedly bribed to issue a restraining order against a person seeking to establish a complaint against the Christ Apostolic Church.The judge at the time reportedly refused to sign her own document in order to frustrate the litigant from appealing her decision(Ghanaian chronicle (Ghana),21 June,2000).How about the case between the two high court judges, Boateng and Owusu (2006) and that of Justice Anthony ( 2004).There are several other documented instances where judges whose decisions are subject to appeal have abused their discretion to stay proceedings in order to deny litigants the opportunity to appeal.
There is no point running away from the fact that,the remuneration and conditions of service of judges is also to a large extend linked with their corruption. Low salaries does not attract qualified legal personnel or retain them.Poor conditions of service, unfair judicial pensions, lack of resources and underfunding coupled with the lack of security of tenure,low respect and prestige to compensate for low earnings make judges susceptible to corruption.We have had instances in Ghana, where judicial officers declared strike action(s) in demand for better conditions of service among others.This judges are humans and definitely need better salaries and conditions of service to support their families in a secure environment.Eventhough justice is not for sale, when this people are tempted with some few cash in the backdrop of harsh financial conditions, they are likely to sell out the cause of justice for the cash.
Another important fact worth noting and which has been a public concern is the lack of clear separation between the Attorney-General's Department and the ministry of justice.The mere fact that public prosecutors based on the general principles of the roman model are subject to the ministry of justice encourages the executive to interfere in the judiciary either via spoken order or written directives, hence the saying that, "The public prosecutor's department is the armed wing of the executive inside the judiciary".
Last but not least, is the prolonged formalism and time needed to arrive at judicial decisions and the technical jargons associated with the court system.Eventhough Ghana has chalked a lot of successes in this regard by adopting the computerised judicial system, a lot still need to be done, especially, in demystifying the complexities the history of the judicial institution has presented.Our justice system is inherited and the official language of justice is English.But the interesting question is,how many of us understand this language very well? We are constantly been confused day- in- day out with some legal jargons.
A situation which clearly impede the transparency in the judicial system and increase the lack of confidence and trust of the ordinary man like myself in the judiciary,since, it is perceived to be a place only for the rich and powerful!This case is clearly seen in a UNDP study of rural justice where it was found that people in poor villages were reluctant to engage with the formal legal system because they viewed the police and the courts as a luxury for the rich.They took their disputes instead to the local panchayat.
This technicalities also give self seeking judges the strategic leeway and monopoly to manipulate the law for their own selfish interest.Klitgaard(1998), in his work on controlling corruption intimated that corruption could be defined as, C=M+D-A, meaning corruption is likely to occur in a system where there is extreme monopoly over resources, plus the exercise of discretion, minus accountability.A clear and simplified judicial system devoid of monopoly of language and technical jargons is the way to go.
In a nutshell,I want to agree with the TI's Global Corruption Report(2007) on corruption and the judicial system that,"Decent working conditions, fair appointments, Accountability and Discipline, and Transparency are four policy positions that can prevent corruption in the judiciary".Whiles I humbly entreat the Chief Justice and the legal officialdom as well as all concerned to exercise professionalism in handling the Anas Aremeyaw Anas undercover of the massive corruption rot in the judiciary,in order to restore the confidence of the Ghanaian in the judiciary,I also wish to add that, judges are not angels, the fight against corruption must involve society as a whole - the private sector, government, individuals,Non Governmental Organizations ( NGOs), Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) among others....
Corruption is indeed worsening the situation of the poverty line and unjustifiably complicating life for the vulnerable masses and it's hight time we say NO to corruption.When I imagine the level of corruption by the very people entrusted with power to ensure distributional justice and I look back to reflect on the wailing of my poor mothers and fathers in my community struggling to make ends meet and pay school fees, I feel like shedding tears.
The time to wake up and fight the corrupt injustice in society is now! Thomas More was quoted saying,"I would uphold the law if for no other reason but to protect myself" and Kurt Cobain maintains that,"The duty of the youth is to challenge corruption".As a youth and a concerned citizen of mother Ghana,lets all join hands in the national interest and say a big NO to corruption!Join me again to say a big NO to corruption!
May God bless our homeland Ghana and make us bold to defend the cause of freedom and justice.
ANAN PANSAH, B ABRAHAM ( AB)
(Teacher, Radio Presenter and Student - University Of Ghana Business School)
Phone Number (s): 0241129910/0200704844