Blog (Page 13)

By Isaac Ato MENSAH Accra – 24 July, 2019 Martin A.B.K. Amidu, the Special Prosecutor (SP), has had his say in his first published article since he got the job. The message is clear; he is being frustrated. Our unsolicited advice; he should pack his personal files and walk. Amidu is strong willed and determined but perhaps the current situation has rendered his mission a bridge too far. Let us read carefully the first paragraph of his latest article published 16 July, 2019 on martinamidu.com. “The biggest challenge facing the Office of the Special Prosecutor as an anti-corruption investigatory and prosecutorial body in spite ofRead More →

By Isaac Ato MENSAH Accra – 22 July, 2019 The literature tells us that when the Trojan war had gone on for some years, there were many who did not even know what started the war but they continued fighting. Today, on the Gregory Afoko matter, many are “talking some” ……offering opinions, or “bad comments” without knowing how the war started. Lawyers are bashing each other about whether Gregory Afoko had properly met his bail conditions before the attorney general went shopping for another high court to keep him incarcerated. First let us list the dramatis personae in this melodrama and then as always weRead More →

By Isaac Ato MENSAH Accra – 20 July, 2019 The raging debate over the public universities bill leaves so much to be desired. Ministry of Education (MOE) reps and university dons are needlessly attacking each other. It is not at all clear which principles if any are in the picture. Let us examine the philosophy behind the proposed bill. We have surmised four main objectives. First; uniform conditions of service for all staff of Ghana’s public universities. Second; a uniform financial management regime. Universities are spending without regard to the Public Financial Management Act. Third; uniform governance structures. Fact: this aspect predates the KNUST andRead More →

By Isaac Ato MENSAHAccra – 15 July, 2019 Free Secondary Education (FSE) in Ghana or anywhere in the world has nothing to do with affordability. “Whatever we can do….. wherever we can find the resources…… we should and we MUST do it,” President Akufo-Addo has once said. The prevailing national statistics on literacy are disconcerting. Published research evidence show that an educated population will keep a healthier environment and improve personal hygiene which has a correlation with better health outcomes within the population, especially for women. Thus, FSE is a laudable equal opportunity policy which when properly executed will also bridge social status gaps withinRead More →

By Isaac Ato MENSAH Accra – 12 July, 2019 The National Science and Math Quiz (NSMQ) has barely had any positive effect on national attitudes and development. On Thursday, before the quiz, we visited PRESEC, five time winner of the quiz and now eight times finalists to see the sanitation situation there. Fasten your seat belts for the facts are not pleasant. Right behind the administration block and close to the Science labs and the classroom blocks is a huge refuse dump, adjoining a toilet. By toilet we mean a urinal, without water closets. There was open defecation on the urinal floor. “The teachers alwaysRead More →

By Isaac Ato MENSAHAccra – 10 July, 2019 Can someone please tell Trump he and his administration have just proven that they are “inept” and “uniquely dysfunctional”, and that the White House is divided? Ambassador Sir Kim Darroch, sent by the UK to Washington has done a professional job and sent a PRIVATE report home! I hear myself shouting, “It is a private report. It is not addressed to you…..Am I not entitled to write my observations?…….. This is a matter of convention…… I will not withdraw………It is not addressed to you……..I will not apologize,” in response to a similar battle. Diplomats are not onlyRead More →

By Isaac Ato MENSAHAccra – 8 July, 2019 This past week has been extremely rough for ghana’s political class. The whole Parliament and several ministers have been caught with their trousers around their ankles on account of wanton arrogance and dishonesty. A.S.K. Bagbin, Second Deputy Speaker, stated on 3 July, 2019 when presiding over the controversial chamber pot debate in Parliament: “What is happening now is eroding the pillar of democracy in the country which is Parliament – that is the pillar of democracy in this country – in fact all over the world and so we should be courteous, careful and cautious about howRead More →

By Isaac Ato MENSAH Winneba – 1 July, 2019 The Communication Educators Association of Ghana (CEAG) met in Winneba on 27 and 28 June, 2019, for the first time. It was to rope in full members, associate members, student members, institutional members and corporate members, and to adopt its draft constitution. Importantly, the draft constitution which was discussed at the business meeting on 27 June had an extensive procedure on DISMISSAL of members. When I told a key convener during the break that the University of Education Winneba (UEW), which was hosting the event, did not have such detailed procedures in its statutes available online,Read More →

By Isaac Ato MENSAH Accra – 28 June, 2019 The most complete health facility within the Ministries in Accra has no water! The CLOGSAG Polyclinic, dedicated to Civil and Local Government Staff Association of Ghana, is open to all and sundry; it has a dispensary, pharmacy, lab and consulting rooms. “Good morning. Why is the water not flowing?” I asked a male records staff. “And there’s no water?” came the reply. It was a shock. But it turned out that after interviewing five nurses at a table and two others in a lengthier conversation, the refrain was the same. “Are you saying there is noRead More →

By Isaac Ato MENSAH Accra – 26 June, 2019 Gabby Asare Otchere-Darko, in a Facebook post published on 23 June, 2019, slammed critics of the government for their commentary. “These influencers I refer to are usually highly educated, intelligent, eloquent and highly opinionated with a strong following to feed their egos. I’ve observed them keenly for a while. You go back and follow their posts. You know them too,” he posted. “In sum, they choose to mainly highlight things that make you feel sorry for yourself for being Ghanaian. They will share reports that are negative on Ghana, comment on how bad things are orRead More →