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NewsTranscript
00:00 Hello, good morning. Welcome to
00:04 the ECBOSJ in Kukumlimle. Coming up this morning, Anapia Mensah, also known as Namwan, in court this morning. We have updates for you.
00:13 Also this morning, ECBOSJ in Mensah says the Commission's decision to increase registration centres in Tamale demonstrates its commitment to register all eligible
00:33 voters.
00:55 We have more as Jean Mensah chides Parliament for contributing to the current chaos by its failure to let the Commission's proposed CI pass.
01:05 It is important to note that this will not be the only registration exercise before the 2024 election. We plan to institute continuous registration in all our district offices nationwide in 2020 for a considerable length of time.
01:26 We have more, plus speak with one of the NDC MPs heavily opposed to the EC's proposed constitutional instrument.
01:35 Also this morning, Parliament's Select Committee on Environment, Science and Technology blames poor enforcement and compliance to environmental safety standards for illegal mining activities pervasive in mining communities.
01:49 We have more to report here from the Chairman of the Committee following the fact-finding mission to Antoboso Explosion Site.
01:59 My name is Aishe Ibrahim. We have details of all of these, plus business, coming up shortly.
02:08 [Music]
02:29 An Akwa Hai Court is this morning hearing a case involving the embattled CEO of gold dealership firm Men's Gold.
02:36 The AG, Slap's Nanapia, Mensah, popularly known as Nam One, with 36 counts of offences including money laundering, abetment, defrauding by false pretence, carrying on deposit taking without the requisite licence, unlawful deposit taking, among other charges.
02:55 This is a reduction from the initial 61 charges brought against him.
03:00 The Attorney General commenced investigations against Nam One in 2019 where he was accused of defrauding thousands of customers through his gold dealership firm over millions of Ghana cities.
03:13 The case has witnessed several adjournments until fresh charges were filed on August 30, 2023.
03:20 The first two charges come after Mr. Apia Mensah announced plans to unlock up funds to Men's Gold customers after a payment of roughly 650,000 cedis for verification.
03:34 Subsequently, he reversed the decision to require former clients to purchase a verification access card in order to verify transactions and validate claims of strong backlash from customers and the public.
03:49 We are in court this morning.
03:57 We will bring you details in our subsequent bulletins.
04:00 Now, Electoral Commission Chairperson, Jean Mensah, says her outfit's decision to increase registration outlets internally demonstrates the commission's commitment to ensure all eligible voters are captured on their national roll.
04:15 The EC has come under intense criticism over its refusal to decentralize the registration process from its district offices.
04:23 In particular, the Tamil Nadu Metro office of the EC has been frowned with faulty kits, long queues culminating into a very slow process.
04:33 Addressing journalists, however, Jean Mensah explained that following discussions with the Tamil Nadu North MP, Harunai Drishyam,
04:40 we saw the commission increase registration centers in Tamale and will continue to do so in other places when the need arises.
04:50 We increased the number of registration stations from two to three, and in some cases, four.
05:00 Faulty kits were also swiftly replaced with spares that were available in the region.
05:07 For instance, in the Tamale Metro office, we experienced issues with the kits sent there, resulting in a registration figure of four voters only on day one.
05:20 We quickly stepped in and replaced the faulty kits, and the registration is going on there seamlessly.
05:30 Additionally, to do with the long queues in the Tamale Metropolis, we have increased their registration stations from two to four.
05:41 And I'm happy to note that on Saturday, they recorded a high of 269 registrations and 410 on Sunday, the 17th of September.
05:55 I share these examples to demonstrate that as a commission, we are on the ground and working around the clock to ensure that every eligible voter
06:05 who is eligible to register or who is desirous to register as a voter does so with ease.
06:16 We have heard of allegations from various quarters that the commission is disenfranchising eligible voters.
06:24 This is false.
06:26 Madam Jane Mensah has also been explaining that the Electoral Commission will embark on a continuous voter registration exercise in 2024
06:37 if its proposed constitutional instrument is allowed to mature into law by Parliament.
06:42 She assures there will also be a MOPAP registration in hard-to-reach areas of the country.
06:50 It is important to note that this will not be the only registration exercise before the 2024 election.
07:00 In line with our plans to promote an inclusive participatory registration process,
07:08 we plan to institute continuous registration in all our district offices nationwide in 2020 for a considerable length of time.
07:19 In addition to that, we will identify difficult-to-access areas and undertake a MOPAP registration of voters in those areas.
07:32 Of course, we will rely on data from the Ghana Statistical Service and our own database
07:39 to determine areas where the registration figures are low as a result of inaccessibility to our district offices.
07:47 I would like to repeat that this is not the only registration exercise prior to the elections in 2024.
07:56 In line with our plans to promote an inclusive participatory registration process,
08:03 we plan to institute registration in all our offices nationwide in 2024 for a considerable length of time.
08:13 In addition to that, we will identify difficult-to-access areas and undertake a MOPAP registration of voters in those areas.
08:24 Speaking about the EC's proposed CI, the Commission says Parliament is partly to blame for the Commission's struggle
08:35 to decentralize the registration process as the failure of the House to pass its new CI
08:41 has left the Commission in a very difficult place.
08:45 As you are all aware, the Commission prepared the draft CI for continuous registration in all district offices nationwide.
08:56 This initiative started last year and the registration we were envisaging under the draft CI was for a sustained, long-term basis.
09:09 Indeed, had the CI passed, we would have had some six months this year to register voters at any time of their choice.
09:20 And I'd like to repeat it, that had the CI passed, we would have had some six months to register voters at any time of their choice
09:30 in our district offices throughout the country.
09:34 In this regard, ladies and gentlemen, our 2023 budget along those lines.
09:43 Our 2023 work plan and budget was based on a continuous registration of voters in our district offices nationwide.
09:54 We did not factor electoral area registration in our 2023 work plan and budget.
10:03 Hence, our adoption of this method in line with our budget and our work plan, as well as our long-term plan and vision.
10:13 Jen Mentha is Chairperson of the Electoral Commission.
10:20 Let's get on to the phone and speak with a ranking member on Parliament's Constitutional and Legal Affairs Committee,
10:26 Bernadette Heer, for more on the claims by the Electoral Commission's Chairperson.
10:31 I'm grateful for your time, Mr. Heer, for how do you react to the EFE boss faulting Parliament for some of the challenges it's facing with its registration exercise?
10:42 And she says it's because you have refused to let its proposed CI pass.
10:48 Well, thank you very much for giving me the opportunity.
10:52 Let me use the opportunity again to extend my greetings to your chair listening.
11:00 I disagree on certain areas with Madam Jen Mentha, the Chairperson of the EFE,
11:09 in the sense that I have been with the Constitutional and Legal Affairs Committee of Parliament,
11:17 who interrogated the CI during the pre-lending consultation.
11:25 The only new thing that the proposed CI was seeking to introduce was the fact that the soft document for registration was being reviewed to only Ghana cards,
11:46 instead of identification passports and Ghana cards.
11:52 Everybody can look at that particular CI.
11:57 It has not introduced any new thing apart from the proposed amendment to regulation 1 of CI-91 as amended by CI-126.
12:12 Everything other remains the same.
12:16 So if Madam Jen Mentha is saying that because the new CI has not been approved,
12:23 that is why it's not doing a continuous registration for a period of six months,
12:29 I am inclined to say to that Madam Jen Mentha is engaging in intellectual dishonesty.
12:38 Everybody can put their respective CI down and analyze it.
12:43 She has the constitutional power to determine the period within which limited registration is supposed to be conducted.
12:52 And there is no CI where CI-91 as amended by CI-126 has not limited the EFE Chairperson to the number of days with men that limited registration is supposed to be conducted.
13:11 So let us not engage in intellectual dishonesty.
13:17 Now, amending the existing CI by limiting the soft document to only Ghana cards,
13:25 how does it reflect in her ability to conduct a limited registration for a continuous period of six months?
13:35 Let's be truthful to Ghanaians.
13:38 Well, Madam Mentha, the EC insists it will not change the proposed CI to accommodate your requests to add the guarantor system.
13:51 Do you sense that Parliament will let the CI go when the House resumes in October,
13:57 especially when the EC says that the new CI will allow them to hold continuous registration?
14:05 Madam Mentha, as a member of Parliament, I have been a Vice-Chairman for the Strategic Legislation Committee
14:11 and with the new CI I have sat with the Committee throughout.
14:15 As Parliamentarians, we ask pertinent questions.
14:19 What is the defect in the existing CI that the new one is coming to clear?
14:25 We are not giving any tangible answer about the defect in the existing CI that the new one is coming to clear.
14:34 Law is an instrument of social engineering.
14:37 Law is supposed to be an aid to development.
14:41 It is just a communicative action.
14:44 So, if the use of only Ghana cards having regard to the problem and the challenges faced by the authorities that issue the Ghana cards,
14:56 if you limit the source document to only Ghana cards, you can imagine the number of eligible voters that will not be eligible to vote because they do not have Ghana cards.
15:09 Genuinely, we can all accept the fact that there are people who went through the process and they are supposed to get the Ghana card, but the card was not even available for them.
15:19 What percentage of Ghanaians have Ghana cards?
15:25 Let alone to talk about those who turned 18 and those who have not been registered as voters.
15:34 So, we realize that the new CI will be causing more harm to Ghanaians than good.
15:42 There is nothing useful in the new CI.
15:48 The only thing being introduced by the new CI, I maintain, is the amendment of Revolution 1 to limit the source document, which were three, in line with the Supreme Court decision in the case of Abu Ramadan.
16:04 Ghana cards, passport, identification. They want to amend the existing CI that talks about these three documents as the source document to limit it to only Ghana cards.
16:18 That is the only thing being introduced in the new CI.
16:22 They should look at the new CI related to the existing CI and point to me, Benarashia, as well as the entire Ghanaian, a provision in the new CI that would enable them to do a continuous registration for a period of six months.
16:41 And then a provision in the existing CI that disallows them from conducting a limited registration for a period of six months.
16:51 It has a constitutional right.
16:53 It has the discretion to determine the number of days, number of weeks, number of months that a continuous registration exercise is supposed to be conducted.
17:04 So, her inability to do it for a longer period cannot be attributed to the non-passage of the new CI.
17:14 That, I maintain, is an intellectual dishonesty.
17:19 Secondly, we parliamentarians do not prepare budgets for the EC, but we approve budgets for the EC.
17:29 If the EC were to retain that it has prepared budgets to conduct limited registration in an illegal area, that Parliament has not given an approval that it has a point.
17:43 But without saying so, then I do not think Parliament of the Republic of Ghana stands to be blamed for the inability of Madame J. Menter, the chairperson of the EC, to conduct limited registration based on illegal areas.
18:03 So, Mr. Ahiya, for your setting, the Parliament will not let this pass?
18:07 Well, Parliament will not let it pass. So long as it limits the source documents to only Ghana cards, Parliament must not let this CI pass.
18:19 Well, let me pick your thoughts on the registration exercise in your consortium, Mr. Akatsi-Sauto.
18:27 Well, in my constituency it is a bit difficult in the sense that you have to engage in transporting people from far places to the district capital where the registration center is located.
18:45 Because leaving them alone, somebody who has just turned 18, where would he or she be getting the money from to spend at least 40 to 50 CEDs to the registration center and the same amount back?
19:01 It's a bit difficult. So, you have to get vehicles to convey them to the center with the associated time that will be spent.
19:16 Because you can imagine somebody traveling from Kloppe in my constituency to Akatsi. It will take you more than an hour in and an hour out, people with the time that you spend at the registration center, with the associated expenses.
19:36 So, but not for the provision of the transport for them, the numbers that we are getting now, we may not be getting the numbers.
19:46 Secondly, we realize that since three days ago, we've been having a backlog. The number of people that will go to the registration center or be conveyed to the registration center,
19:56 the infill is not able to complete all the numbers and some of them will have to go back and risk the chance of coming another time with the associated expenses.
20:11 These are the challenges that we are facing. So, I will not say that the registration in Akatsi South is moving smoothly as expected and I believe it is the same with other areas.
20:28 Ms. Ahinafo, I'm grateful for your time. He is Akatsi South MP and also a ranking member on the Constitutional Legal Affairs Committee of Parliament.
20:40 I'm also grateful to you having me.
20:51 Let's stick with Parliament because Chairman of the Parliamentary Select Committee on Environment, Science and Technology, Dr. Emmanuel Marfour,
20:59 has attributed the many infractions happening in mining sites across the country on weak compliance to environmental safety standards.
21:08 He also observes a key deficiency in public sector management is a lack of coordination and collaboration between state agencies mandated to execute policies,
21:19 programs and laws for the welfare of society. Dr. Marfour made his assertion when he and other committee members visited the Anto Aboso explosion site in Shama
21:31 to experience at first hand the happenings in the area which led to the explosion which claimed five lives.
21:39 Assembly member for Obinacrum, Emmanuel Owu-Ewie, narrated the incident to the committee. He was bitter about the continuous and deliberate negligence of quarry companies in the Shama district to safety standards.
21:55 My place is surrounded by eight quarries. So, when I see an operation of a new quarry going around, I just inform them I've seen something here.
22:02 So, they are going to the Mineral Country because they are in charge of that. So, when I informed the Mineral Country, that is when they came to ask them to halt the operation.
22:09 So, when they halted the operation, about four or five months, all that I saw was that they were transporting material from a quarry somewhere about 1.5 kilometers from here.
22:19 And then they would bring it here to crush. But they were not blasting. Until I heard one blast, then I came around and asked the gentleman in charge.
22:27 He said, "Oh, they are doing a test blast." And that the Mineral Country Commission and everything.
22:33 I had a problem with the gentleman because I requested for their certificate for me to have a look at it. And lo and behold, he said they have done everything.
22:42 The issue we have here is that there are a lot of quarries working, going through EPA and Mineral Commission to acquire permits within the region.
22:50 It is something that is not in their books. You are here, you come from a quarry with a permit. Sometimes there is an activity going on, you go make an attempt of halting them.
23:00 There is somebody who will call you, allow them to work.
23:03 The Chairman of the Parliamentary Select Committee on Environment, Dr. Emmanuel Malfu, was surprised to learn that there is no EPA official in the Shama District.
23:15 The DCE Assembly Member and the MP were invited to Parliament to help them understand what actually happened.
23:23 We decided to come around and to have a look for ourselves and investigate and see what caused the problem and whether there was some negligence on the part of environmental inspectors or whether the environmental safety standards that should accompany operations like this were observed or were neglected.
23:50 So we came and we have seen for ourselves, we have heard for ourselves. So we are of the view that the issues are too many.
24:00 Some borders on the legality, the registration of the company operating. Some borders on the performance of the relevant state agencies and whether they are doing their work as required by law or not.
24:15 So we are of the view that this is an issue that we as a Committee on Environment will need to invite the stakeholders involved and interrogate the matters further.
24:27 Dr. Malfu was unhappy about the manner illegal activities are gradually becoming a norm in the area.
24:35 He was concerned about the lack of compliance to environmental laws and how the situation was causing grave damages to the environment with associated health and economic challenges.
24:47 Generally, our findings is that GALAMC is still pervasive even within the official concessions. And we think that for the companies that have concessions, the state has a responsibility to protect the concessions.
25:09 And that's why we must go back and make sure that we mobilize the forces of the states to make sure that boundaries of these concessions are protected so that people can do their business.
25:23 We don't want anything to go out there that in Ghana when you acquire concessions, illegal people can even invade your concession and they're operating your concession.
25:33 That will reduce business confidence in our country and it will affect investment, it will affect our economy in the long run.
25:43 Apart from that, we are also concerned about the lack of reclamation and restoration of degraded landscapes.
25:57 The Antu Aboso is host to about 8 queries and raises the concern for proper environmental management practices to safeguard lives and properties in the area.
26:13 Dozens of commuters for the second day running are still stranded at Wasola-Bole Highway following torrential rains in the area that broke the banks of the Doli River.
26:25 The only option for the stranded commuters are two canoes that can ferry them from one end to the other at a fare of 10 Ghana cedis excluding luggage charges.
26:35 Upper West Region correspondent Rafik Salam who travelled to the area reports the spontaneous increase in transport fares as passengers who wish to travel along the route need to do a detour of an extra 200 kilometres to reach their destinations.
26:53 The 12-hour Sunday rain came in torrents. Its intensity has never been seen in the Engliffe for decades. The effect is catastrophic and of monumental proportion.
27:09 The Doli River that has not been desalted for over two decades broke its banks as a result of the violent flash floods and cut the highway into two equal halves.
27:21 Males of commuters got stranded on both sides of the highway. The well-compacted gravel-sealed bitumen was completely washed off leaving only the skeleton of the concrete bridge.
27:35 There was no human casualties but farms closer to the waterways were destroyed. Passengers wishing to continue their journey only have one option, two canoes to ferry them from one end to the other at 10 Ghana cedis excluding luggage charges.
27:55 The Doli River is a major source of water for the people of Ghana. It is the main source of water for the people of Ghana.
28:15 However, if you are faint-hearted and have phobia for the water that is about the size of half a football field, you have to take a detour of about 200 kilometres from either Sola to Fufosu Junction and Tachiman or the vice versa.
28:37 The communication lines were also destroyed by the flash floods.
28:41 This is the fibre cable and they are also trying to retrieve the cable to enable them to restore the lines of these communication services here.
28:50 So you can see that one of them is from Bodo Fomasa. Tell me, what's your name?
28:53 I'm Emmanuel Baberi.
28:55 Okay, what are you doing now?
28:56 We are trying to restore the link. This link has affected so many sites. So yesterday we were here but we couldn't restore it due to the water content.
29:06 Today we came back and we have access to the cable and we are now trying to lay the cable across so that we can do temporary work and later on we can come and do the normal work.
29:14 Savannah Regional Minister Saeed Jibril Mwazu, accompanied by his opposite number from the Upper West Region, Dr. Hakeem Sali, visited the affected area to get first-hand information and a view to fixing it.
29:30 We built somewhere in 1993 and since then we've been doing spot improvements on the road. But the major works have not been done.
29:41 But so far we've seen that the level of destruction is something that we have to take seriously and also to make sure that we get the road more trouble very, very soon.
29:54 Even before coming here, we have made contacts with the road minister, the chief director, the chief executive of the Ghana Highway Authority to ensure that we get a speedy remedy to what has happened.
30:08 The Upper West Region is severely hit.
30:11 The incident has resulted in spontaneous increments of transport fares, specifically persons travelling to Kumasi or Accra.
30:21 The Ghana Private Road Transport Union, GPRTU, has upped the transport fares from Nwa to Kumasi by 40 Ghana cities.
30:31 Alajinu Muhammad is a senior industrial relations officer of the Upper West Branch of the GPRTU and he defends the increment.
30:40 We have added 40 Ghana cities to the 140, making it 180 Ghana cities.
30:48 Don't you think that is too high a price?
30:50 In fact, we are very sympathetic with our travelling public.
30:58 We were intending to increase it from 140 to 200, rather than the cost of the crew and the distance.
31:10 But we said we have to be sympathetic with them, so we reduced it to 40 instead of 50.
31:16 For the VIP buses travelling to Accra, they have only done an increment of 20 Ghana cities. Oliru Aman Salifu is the world manager of VIP.
31:28 The 20 city increment is not up to 20 gallons of fuel.
31:36 And that place, looking at it, is about 90 miles. That's freely.
31:46 So due to that, if you don't add anything, you can't be able to cover. And there can be a type S or there can be a different destination in a car.
31:52 Passengers are however not happy with the increment in the transport fares.
31:57 Both. The long journey, one. The increment, two. And the time.
32:07 For one, there is an increment. The journey will be stressful.
32:14 I think that is the thing we are going to face. It will be stressful because as much as we have been passing the other route,
32:22 we might not be as stressful. But this one, the road is a bit longer.
32:28 From the look of things, it appears the highways will not be fixed permanently in the next few days.
32:36 What governments need to do however to alleviate the pain and frustration of commuters is to create a direction
32:43 that will enable them to have easy access from one end of the highway to the other.
32:48 Several vehicles that are parked here and also their mates, their mates are looking for passengers.
32:54 So you can see that they are calling for passengers to come and join their vehicles for them to move into the Upper West Region.
33:01 Reporting for Joy News, Rafik Salaam, Jolie, Savannah Region.
33:07 And from the Savannah Region to the Ashanti Region where details have emerged of how a house help murdered his employer
33:16 at Sakobana Parson near Kumasi. The details contained in court documents revealed the accused journalist
33:23 that got hired a day after applying for the position of a house help from an Accra-based employment agency
33:30 and allegedly committed the murder six days after resuming work.
33:34 The Sakorimanpon District Court was told how the key suspect applied to become a house help
33:40 and got posted the following day to his new employer. He ended up murdering my colleague, Goheme Nteria,
33:47 was in court and has come through with this report.
33:50 Alastair applied for work on September 4, 2023 and resumed work the following day,
34:02 assigned to the woman he allegedly murdered in Kumasi.
34:06 On September 11, 2023, at about 11 a.m., moments after the dishes had prepared for which she enjoyed with the accused,
34:15 she was stabbed in the stomach, hit several times on the head and face with a club.
34:22 The accused is said to have taken advantage of the absence of the 11-year-old daughter of his mother who had gone to school.
34:31 According to police, Alastair, after committing the act, invited the second and third accused persons,
34:38 that is James Anoche and Juan Collins, to the home of the deceased and bolted with a Kia Sportage vehicle
34:45 with registration GS307-21, Samsung mobile phone, rice, cooking oil and other items.
34:56 They then escaped to Accra, made contact with Bikki, a Ford accomplice who is at large,
35:04 to sell the vehicle to Christian Obu, the Fiat accomplice who is also at large.
35:10 Alastair, after the sale of his Madame's Kia Sportage vehicle, used some of the proceeds to buy a Toyota Vitcar with registration number GS3107-23,
35:23 whilst the second, third and fourth accomplices were being pursued.
35:28 The fifth accused person abandoned the Kia Sportage vehicle at Uyibi police station and bolted.
35:35 Following a report to the police, the Crime Scene Management team discovered the body of the late Stella Osei,
35:42 also known as Princess Efia Ahinkai, in the garage of her Aparso home.
35:48 A blood-stained club, believed to have been used by the accused person to murder the woman, was also discovered at the crime scene on Tuesday, 12 September 2023.
36:00 A police intelligence-led operation led to the arrest of the first and second accused persons in their hideouts in Accra on September 14, 2023.
36:10 The two were then escorted to face trial in Kumasi.
36:14 Prosecution, led by ASP Stephen Ofori, prepped the court to grant a request to release the Kia Sportage to the husband of the deceased,
36:23 whilst a Toyota Vit vehicle, acquired with proceeds from the crime, is also impounded by police.
36:30 Despite the plea of the accused persons not being taken, the Kia suspect broke bounds, raised his hand and signalled to the court he had something to say.
36:42 He told the court he has accepted responsibility and pleaded with the court to be lenient with him before the Asokwe Mapon District Court.
36:55 But prosecution, led by ASP Stephen Ofori, says due process would be followed in the trial.
37:02 This is a case of murder and the due process has to be followed.
37:06 Even though he has told the court that he admits whatever happened, but the due process must follow.
37:11 And when the due process is completed, we will forward it to AG for his advice before the process will start.
37:16 That's the saddest part.
37:17 A father-in-law to the deceased, Yaw Yaw Yawa, who witnessed the proceedings in court, says he was saddened to hear five persons were involved in the murder.
37:28 According to him, the husband of the deceased, who is based in the United Kingdom, has been crying all day over the callous murder of his wife.
37:37 You arrived tonight from London, but you've been crying all along.
37:41 From Asokwe Mapon for Joy News, Waimea Interia reporting.
37:45 Back here in Accra, CDD Research Fellow Kwame Saponcedu is urging government to prioritise research and data-driven decision-making in the healthcare sector.
38:02 Speaking at a public lecture organised by Joy News and various professional bodies on the theme Down Memory Lane 1993 to Present,
38:11 has this democracy delivered a health dividend for Ghanaians?
38:15 He said the failure of Ghanaians to raise concerns when a new government starts building new health facilities,
38:22 while previous ones by the past government remain unfinished,
38:26 is a significant reason for the inefficiencies we witness in our health sector.
38:32 The Agenda 111 project includes six new health facilities, six regional hospitals in newly created regions,
38:41 two specialised hospitals in the Middle and Northern Belts, as well as a regional hospital in the Western Region and renovation of the Ifeankwanta Regional Hospital.
38:50 The minority in parliament in August said government's Agenda 111 project, which was launched two years ago, has delayed due to funding challenges.
38:59 Deputy Ranking Member on the Health Committee of Parliament Dr Marquette Nwani said government has not been fair and truthful to Ghanaians, an assertion denied by government.
39:10 Speaking at a public lecture at the British Council, CDD Fellow and Pharmacist Kwame Saponcedu said
39:17 failure of Ghanaians to speak up when a government starts building new health facilities,
39:22 while previous ones by the past government remain unfinished, is a significant reason for the inefficiencies we witness in our health sector.
39:31 The truth is our politicians are very good storytellers and sloganeers.
39:35 They are well aware that investments in health take a while to trickle down as health outcomes.
39:43 For example, achieving significant improvement in infant mortality rates may take between five and ten years.
39:51 For life expectancy, it can take around 10 to 20 years, and for maternal mortality rates, it can take between 10 and 15 years.
40:00 Therefore, they are clear that they cannot claim credit for most of these outcomes over a four or even eight-year term.
40:10 However, if they build a hospital, CHIPS compound, or pay training nurses and allowances,
40:16 they could point to these at the next election, whether or not these are value-for-money investments or misplaced priorities.
40:25 Being the storytellers they are, they opt for the tangibles and carve these stories around them.
40:32 Hence, slogans like "Agenda 111" have become cut phrases on which votes are procured.
40:40 But then again, we are partly to blame.
40:45 Is it not strange that in a country whose constitution speaks of the directive principles of state policy,
40:52 we find a government commencing building of new health facilities when the previous facilities started by the previous government remain uncompleted?
41:04 How have we as citizens become so divided and supine that we fail to stand up when things like this happen,
41:13 knowing very well that the main driver of such schemes is procurement and sometimes sleaze?
41:20 This is a major contributor to the waste we see in our health infrastructural projects
41:27 and perhaps a major contributor to why health inputs yield marginal outcomes.
41:33 When they try to compare their performance in health,
41:36 our politicians elect to compare with the performance of their opponents,
41:41 not with the performance of countries with similar GDP or health expenditure per capita.
41:46 He says data and evidence must inform decisions in the health sector.
41:51 To achieve this, we must, one, engage in inclusive conversations.
41:58 The development of a sustainable health policy should be rooted in conversations that include voices from all levels of society.
42:06 Inclusivity ensures that the policy framework addresses the diverse needs and challenges faced by different segments of our population.
42:17 The error when politicians come out with a plan and sell it to us as the solution without understanding what our pain points are must be buried.
42:30 Our leaders must first listen, think, and then dream.
42:37 It is only after having a dream should planning commence.
42:41 Two, prioritize research and data-driven decision-making.
42:46 The journey towards better health outcomes must be guided by data and evidence.
42:52 Rigorous analysis of health indicators, comparison with similar nations, and regular assessment of progress are essential for informed decision-making.
43:05 Embrace long-term vision.
43:08 While politicians often seek short-term victories, the dividend of a functioning health system manifests over time.
43:17 Policymakers must adopt a long-term perspective that prioritizes sustainable improvement in health indicators.
43:24 Senior lecturer at the Economics Department of the University of Ghana, Priscilla Chumesi-Balfour, says health is wealth and income is not a sufficient condition for development.
43:34 I'm not surprised that the health outcomes that we see are not great.
43:40 And at best, it appears we have been quite sluggish in the growth whilst others are growing faster in the right direction.
43:50 Why? Because we know that development is a continuous process.
43:56 And development which must translate into high incomes for citizens, good education, better health outcomes, and social security for all
44:09 is a continuous process.
44:11 But when you track the growth trajectory of this country, it has been quite checkered.
44:18 So there is the need under this democratic dispensation to look at the sources of vulnerability.
44:26 What happens to the productive sectors of this economy that makes the economy struggle to grow in the right direction,
44:35 to yield some of these dividends, including health care outcomes?
44:40 Pharmacist and consultant William Mufuri says more has to be done to improve Ghana's health sector.
44:46 There are less than 12 neurologists for the 15 plus million adults, or 32 million population.
45:00 There are less than 12.
45:02 I'm not just talking neurologists.
45:05 Interventional cardiologists, there are less than 12.
45:09 Endocrinologists, there are less than 12.
45:13 Nephrologists, there are less than 12.
45:17 Medical oncologists, there are less than 12.
45:21 That is scary.
45:26 That's the live on JOYNEES desk.
45:28 When we return, we'll bring you the very latest from the world of business.
45:31 Time now for business.
45:37 Ghana Journalist Association, GJA, and telecommunications giant MTN have agreed to work more closely together
45:45 to champion media sustainability and viability in Ghana while supporting business activities and product advocacy.
45:53 The two bodies agreed on the pact when the GJA paid a courtesy call on the leadership of MTN at their head office here in Accra.
46:02 H.S. Ikan Kunwa was there for JOYNEES.
46:05 The Ghana Journalist Association has paid a courtesy call on the leadership of MTN at their head office in Accra.
46:12 According to the executives of the GJA, the visit was to enhance and deepen the relationship between both organizations
46:20 in the pursuit of their goals and objectives.
46:22 The GJA president announced that Ghana had won the bid to host the third African Media Convention.
46:30 This, he said, was an attestation to the confidence reposed in the association and to the strong media industry in the country.
46:39 We are fulfilling one of our commitments to visit or pay a courtesy call on the key partner institutions
46:49 to deepen our relationship, strengthen the bond between us, and to share ideas.
46:58 Through our hard work and through the commitment of this current leadership,
47:09 we were able to make a good case for Ghana, among seven other countries, to be selected as the host for the third African Media Convention,
47:22 powered by the African Union Commission, the EU Commission, supported by UNESCO and other partners.
47:30 The chief executive officer of MTN Ghana, Mr. Selom Adadivo,
47:35 stated that MTN has always been committed to improving the quality of journalism in the country
47:41 and will remain steadfastly committed to support the GJA.
47:45 Thank you all of you again.
47:48 The GJA is an important association in this country.
47:51 It also is an important association to us as a business.
47:55 So we look forward to working closely with you through this period
47:59 and hopefully continue to further the growth of journalism within the country.
48:05 For us, as you know, the quality of journalism is an important area for us.
48:10 There are a number of initiatives that we've already launched and carried out.
48:15 The discipline that journalism brings and expresses is also extremely important to us.
48:20 These are the things we look out for but also try to support in our own small ways.
48:26 And it looks like your own objectives are well in line with ours as well.
48:31 So that's great.
48:33 Senior manager for corporate communications at MTN, Georgina Asare-Fiagbenu,
48:39 emphasized that the media was an important agent in the promotion of the telecommunications industry.
48:46 She enumerated several ways in which the media and MTN can work in a mutually beneficial manner.
48:52 Just to reiterate the fact that we'll continue to work with you.
48:58 Our doors are always open.
49:00 And from here we'll be having more engagements with you so that we do things for a mutual benefit.
49:09 We'll continue to do some of the things that Gina has highlighted.
49:12 And we hope we are counting on your support as well for your understanding on some of the issues
49:19 that are important for the industry, not only for MTN.
49:23 And in terms of training as well, to support the training for the industry because we need that.
49:30 The reportage for the industry has to be one that supports the growth of the industry.
49:36 And that does it for the business segment.
49:44 And as I wrap up the bulletin this morning, my name is Ayesha Ibrahim.
49:48 Log on to myjoeonline.com.
49:50 There's more than news and updates of all the developing stories.
49:59 See you again at 12.
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