The Chief Justice, Kwasi Anin Yeboah, has declared Monday, April 12 to Friday, April 16, 2021, as Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) Week for the legal year.
A statement from the Judicial Service said the focus of the ADR Week was to reduce “the backlog of cases at the 131 participating courts.”
The week is under the theme: “Making our courts user-friendly through the use of ADR”.
“The one hundred and thirty-one (131), comprising thirty-three (33) Circuit Court and Ninety-eight (98) District Courts shall participate by devoting the whole week for settlement of Court cases with ADR across the country,” the statement said.
It said a press briefing would be held at Ada District Court in the Greater Accra Region to mark the official opening of the ADR week.
The statement urged the Bar, disputants, the Media and the public to participate fully and cooperate with the Judicial Service to make “this legal year a success.”
ADR has been adopted by the Judicial Service of Ghana as part of its adjudication process dubbed, “Court connected ADR”.
The aim of the ADR programme is to ensure that access to justice in Ghana was made easier, cheaper, non-adversarial, expeditious and flexible to all, particularly the poor and the vulnerable.
Pursuant to this, the Chief Justice in a policy directive on the Court -connected ADR Programme, has instituted an ADR Week in every legal year term to give parties the opportunity to settle their cases through mediation and to run programmes and activities to create awareness on the availability of ADR as a compliment to the adjudication process in the courts.
The public is advised to contact the ADR Directorate within the law Court Complex, High Street, Accra on phone number 0242004573 or email- ccadr.gov.gh@gmail.com for further information.
A mixture of dolphins and different species of fish, with some dead, have been washed ashore the coast of Brawire and Ankobra, both in the Lower Axim Traditional Area of Western Region, but the cause of death is unknown.
Residents, however, suspect they might have eaten contaminated or poisonous substances.
Meanwhile, information gathered by the Ghana News Agency (GNA) indicates that seven of the about 60 dolphins had been butchered and sold off by some residents to fishmongers.
A resident, Mr George Grant, told the GNA that some of the fishers could not wait for officials of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to arrive at the scene before cashing in on the situation.
He said most of the dolphins were alive and that officers from the Marine Police Unit of the Ghana Police Service managed to trace and seized the ones that were taken by the residents for sale.
“They have also been able to protect the area from intruders as they wait for officials from the District Assembly and the EPA to give directives on what to do,” he said.
Mr Grant said officers from the Fisheries Commission in Takoradi were in Axim to meet stakeholders on the incident.
A similar incident occurred at Osu in Accra on Saturday where large species of dead fish were washed ashore with the Korle Klottey Municipal Assembly sounding the alarm against the consumption of such fish.
President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has called on investors and business leaders in Spain to participate in the exceptional investment opportunities in Ghana.
Ghana, with its stable security and political environment, coupled with a sound legal and regulatory environment, and a stable domestic market and macro-economic stability, he noted, had the best investment climate in West Africa for both local and foreign investors.
“As most of you know, Ghana is a haven of peace, security and stability, indeed, the safest country in West Africa, where legitimate investments are protected. We have witnessed, through the ballot box, three peaceful transfers of power from one political party to another in the 28-year period of the 4th Republic.”
President Akufo-Addo made the call on Monday when he addressed the business community in Spain, as part of the “Focus Africa 2023” Conference in Madrid, Spain.
The Conference defines Spanish foreign action in Africa until 2023 and forms part of the Spain’s foreign action Strategy from 2021 to 2024. The strategy includes; the specific actions the Spanish government intends taking with key stakeholders in Africa, including; Ghana. It is aligned with the realisation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the African Union’s 2063 Agenda.
The President told the meeting that between, 2017 and 2020, his first term in office was spent correcting the fundamentals of the economy, which were all pointing in the wrong direction.
“We have, over the period, put in place measures needed to reduce the cost of doing business, improve the business environment, and made the Ghanaian economy not only one of the most business-friendly economies in Africa, but also one of the fastest growing economies in the world between 2017 and 2020,” he added.
President Akufo-Addo pointed out the fact that though economies of most countries were recording negative growth as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, Ghana’s economy was one of the few that still managed to record a positive GDP growth.
“In spite of the ravages of the pandemic, we are working to grow the economy at a much faster rate this year, our target being a five percent (5 percent) GDP growth rate, which will enhance the prospects of a win-win environment for both private sector and country; an environment, where companies do not just survive, but actually thrive,” he said.
The President told the business leaders that the major intervention driving the revival and revitalization of the Ghanaian economy is the GH¢100 billion Ghana CARES ‘Obaatampa’ Programme, whose main elements included; supporting commercial farming and attracting educated youth into commercial farming; and building the country’s light manufacturing sector; developing engineering/machine tools and ICT/digital economy industries; amongst others.
“It continues to be an exciting time to be in Ghana, and to do business in the country. Already, global car manufacturing giants, Volkswagen of Germany, Sinotruk of China, Nissan of Japan have established assembly plants in the country. Energy giant, ExxonMobil of the United States of America, is establishing an office and base in Ghana, and the well-known Norwegian energy company, Aker, is much established in Ghana, and I believe it is for good reason,” he added.
He, thus, urged business community in Spain to take advantage of the business-friendly climate in the country to invest in Ghana, adding, “I am sure you have heard of some of my government’s flagship policies of “One District, One Factory”, “One Village, One Dam”, and the programme for “Planting for Food and Jobs”, which I commend to you, as I do areas in water, health, housing, road and rail infrastructure, transport, industry, manufacturing, agriculture, petroleum and gas, the exploitation of our mineral wealth of bauxite, iron ore and gold, renewable energy and ICT growth.”
The President told the gathering that a key challenge of the Ghanaian economy, is its infrastructural deficit, noting that government was embarking on an aggressive public private partnership programme to attract investment in the development of both road and railway infrastructure.
“We are hopeful that, with solid private sector participation, we can develop a modern railway network with strong production centre linkages and with the potential to connect us to our neighbours.
“Ghana is, rightly, considered a beacon of democracy in Africa. In the same vein, we are determined to make her an example of rapid economic growth within the context of a well-developed market economy. We welcome your contribution to this endeavour,” the President stated.
The Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Mr James Oppong-Boanuh, has called on religious bodies, especially churches, to hold services within two hours during the Easter festivities.
He noted that during Easter, religious activities across the country were always on the increase and it was, therefore, important to reduce the numbers and strictly observe all the COVID-19 protocols.
“Conventions, crusades, pilgrimages and such large physical gatherings are not allowed,” he stressed in an exclusive interview with the Daily Graphic yesterday.
Measures
Outlining measures put in place by the police to ensure peaceful festivities, the IGP said the police would provide enhanced security during the festivities and that would include the deployment of plainclothes and uniformed officers to monitor compliance with COVID-19 protocols and take the necessary actions.
“They will also intensify their vigilance over criminal activities across the country,” he stated.
The IGP indicated that hosting any carnival, festival, beach gathering, street dances, procession, parades and such events was illegal as nightclubs as well as cinemas and movie houses were also banned from opening.
Concrete strategies
“I want to assure citizens and foreign nationals living in the country that the police service is determined to ensure peace and guarantee the security of all. In this regard, a number of concrete operational strategies have been put in place,” he said.
“We continue to intensify day and night patrols, snap checks, intelligence-led swoops, highway and residential patrols, motor traffic enforcement strategies, community engagement and sensitisation on security,” Mr Oppong-Boanuh said.
Criminal activities
He called on the public to continue to be vigilant and report all criminal activities to the nearest police station and also urged the public to abide by the COVID-19 restrictions imposed by the President, which had legal backing, as the police would strictly enforce them.
“All activities of ‘closed room’ bar or pub, including those in hotels, remain illegal,” the IGP stated. However, Mr Oppong-Boanuh explained that open air drinking spots may operate provided that they observed all other COVID-19 protocols.
Tourist sites
He added that tourist sites and attractions might, however, open to the public provided they ensured the wearing of face masks, social distancing and enhanced hygiene by all patrons.
On funerals, the IGP said, families might want to take advantage of the holiday period to bury loved ones but reminded the public that it was illegal to hold funerals, saying “private burials may be held with a maximum of 25 people if held outside the church or religious facility.”
“For church or religious burial services, the maximum number of participants should be 100. In all cases, the COVID-19 protocols are expected to be observed, with the duration not exceeding two hours,” Mr Oppong-Boanuh stated.
Road safety
On road safety, the IGP said together with its partners, police officers would be present at mapped-out traffic congestion and accident-prone areas and that people who drove beyond speed limits, overloaded, drunk while driving and indulged in such other traffic irregularities would be arrested.
“I call on all to continuously give maximum support to the police and security services to facilitate the provision of adequate and guaranteed security. The police are your partners on a common drive to consolidate peace and security, and to also promote social cohesion,” Mr Oppong-Boanuh said.
The Police Administration encouraged the public to continue to be vigilant and in cases of emergency crime situations, the public should call 0550323323, 0275000156 or Toll-Free numbers 18555, 191 and 112.
A Ghana Green Programme (GGP) has been launched with a target of planting five million trees to mark the day on June 11, 2021.
The initiative forms part of the efforts by the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources (MLNR) and the Forestry Commission to encourage Ghanaians to plant more trees to preserve and protect the country’s forest cover and the environment.
The Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, Mr Samuel Abu Jinapor, yesterday launched the Green Ghana Programme as part of activities to mark this year’s International Day of Forests in the country.
Day of Forests
The International Day of Forests was instituted by the United Nations General Assembly in 2012 to celebrate and raise awareness of the importance of all types of forests.
To commemorate the day, countries are encouraged to undertake local, national and international efforts to organise activities involving forests and trees, such as tree planting campaigns.
Collective responsibility
Mr Abu Jinapor said to ensure the success of the programme and to get all Ghanaians involved, the tree planting exercise would see President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, the Vice-President, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia; the Speaker of Parliament, Mr Alban Kingsford Sumana Bagbin, and the Chief Justice, Mr Justice Kwasi Anin-Yeboah, plant a tree each on June 11.
Other high-profile personalities who will take part in the exercise are the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, and the Overlord of Dagbon Kingdom, Yaa-Naa Abukari II, as well as all the heads of other traditional areas.
Aggressive afforestation
Mr Jinapor explained that the rationale behind the planting of five million trees in Ghana formed part of a strategy and a programme to embark on aggressive afforestation to protect forests and the environment in Ghana.
He said the initiative was a joint responsibility for which more broad-based support was needed to address the adverse degradation of the country’s forests and ecosystem.
“To achieve our goal of protecting our forests and ecosystem, we will see to the planting of five million trees, which is significant by all standards, to help raise national consciousness of the need to protect the environment and the forests,” he said.
According to him, the President had a vision for the FC and the forestry sector which required that the FC worked with all stakeholders to increase the country’s forest cover and ensure the protection of the environment.
Collaboration
“As Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, I am looking forward to working with the Chief Executive and directors of the FC as well as staff of FC across the country for us to be able to realise the vision of the President and the aspiration of the Ghanaian people so that we can preserve our ecosystem. This will help Ghana to become a worthy and responsible member of the international community in the issues relating to forestry in the world,” he said.
He gave an assurance that enough preparatory measures and plans had been put in place to ensure the success of the tree planting exercise.
“With the success of the exercise, we hope to receive more funding from corporate Ghana and green world in order that a day will come in our Ghana where in a day, all of us in Ghana can mobilise ourselves to plant 100 million trees in a day and nurture them to maturity.”
“My view is that we also plant commercial trees such as shea, wawa, rosewood so they become an investment so that down the road, future generations will be able to harvest these trees and it will promote the economy of Ghana,” he said.
Ghana’s forest area
The forest area of Ghana is estimated at 9.17 million hectares, accounting for about 40 per cent of the total national land.
The state of the forest reserves indicates that there is a general increase in forest disturbance from the wetter to the drier forest areas. About 14 per cent of the total permanent forest estates in Ghana are without adequate forest cover.
Ghana has swept all the top three International Excellence awards instituted by the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) which seeks to honour candidates with outstanding performance in the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE).
Awardees
Master Cecil Tetteh Kumah formerly of Mfantsipim Senior High School was adjudged the Overall Best Student in the 2020 WASSCE written by over two million candidates from the five participating countries.
Master Kumah is currently with the Columbia University in the USA studying Mechanical Engineering and Computer Science.
For topping West Africa, Master Kumah was presented with a cheque for $1,500.
The second Overall Best student went to Mr Godfred Aseda Obeng from Hope College at Gomoa Fete. He is currently with the University of Ghana.
Master Obeng had a total score of 625. 6953 and for placing second, he took away $1,200 while Ms Afua Manukure Ansah who took the Overall Third Best had a total score of 624. 640.
Miss Ansah, who is currently studying at the Cornell University, USA, took home $900.
The Distinguished Friend of Council Award was presented to Dr John Anum Sackey, a former Senior Lecturer, Department of English of the University of Cape Coast and Central University as well as a Chief Examiner, Literature in English and Oral English.
For his award, he took home a plaque.
Making Ghana proud
Earlier, President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo congratulated the three on making Ghana proud, saying “the three awards winners are Ghanaians who are beneficiaries of the free SHS policy.”
He urged prospective candidates in the region to learn from the success chalked up by the three.
President Akufo-Addo further lamented on the high level of examination malpractices, particularly the leakage of examination questions, saying that the menace must be of concern that needed immediate attention.
That, the President noted, hindered quality assessments, adding that it erased the public confidence in the examinations by the council.
He, therefore, called for comprehensive measures to be put in place to curb the practice.
President Akufo-Addo gave an assurance that “the government is working with WAEC to help curb examination malpractices in Ģhana.”
According to him, that would ensure that Ghanaian children became competitive and also maintain the integrity of the examination administered in the country.
Investing in WAEC
For his part, the Chairman of the Council, Mŕ Baboucarr Bouy, commended Ghana for promoting the work of the council and education in the sub-region.
He also called on other governments to invest in the council’s in their various countries.
Mr Bouy emphasised the need to help curb examination malpractices in the region.
Master Kumah and Master Obeng were grateful to God for how far He had brought them.
Criteria for the award
The criteria for the award is opened to only candidates with a minimum of eight Grade A1s at one sitting, without any hint of impropriety.
The raw scores of the eligible candidates are converted to T-scores and used to rank the candidates.
In the event of time, the T-scores of the candidates in their common subjects (English and Mathematics) are used.
Where there is still a tie, the raw scores of the candidates in the core subjects are used and in the event of a further tie, the T-scores of the best of the candidates’ remaining core subjects are used.
The public has been cautioned to take weather warnings seriously, with the on-set of the rainy season.
This is because many suffer the ill effects of rainstorms, as a result of being taken by surprise, and not prepared for the sudden weather outburst.
Mr. George Ayisi, Director of Communications for the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO), told the Ghana News Agency in an interview that while NADMO was ready to deal with any potential ill-effects of the season, it was crucial for all to take full responsibility of their safety.
He advised people to desilt drains within their respective communities, in order to allow the free flow of water during heavy rains to minimise flooding and all its ill-effects.
Mr. Ayisi urged people staying in flood prone areas to take life saving measures such as moving to safer places during the season or if possible, do so when it begins to rain heavily.
He also urged them to place items that could be destroyed by water such as documents safely, and remember to switch off all electrical gadgets during rains to prevent electrocution through contact with flooded waters.
Mr, Ayisi said NADMO now had “Safe Havens” within respective communities, where victims of flooding could seek temporary shelter, adding that respective communities should liaise with NADMO officers for such assistance when needed.
The country is currently having its first and major rainy season of the year.
While the season was of immense benefit during activities like farming, it was also characterised by ill-effects such as flooding, which threatened life and property.
Tanzania’s President John Magufuli has died aged 61, the country’s vice-president has announced.
He died on Wednesday from heart complications at a hospital in Dar es Salaam, Samia Suluhu Hassan said in an address on state television.
Mr Magufuli had not been seen in public for more than two weeks, and rumours have been circulating about his health.
Opposition politicians said last week that he had contracted Covid-19, but this has not been confirmed.
“It is with deep regret that I inform you that today… we lost our brave leader, the president of the Republic of Tanzania, John Pombe Magufuli,” Vice-President Hassan said in the announcement.
She said there would be 14 days of national mourning and flags would fly at half mast.
Mr Magufuli was declared president on his 56th birthday in October 2015. He was elected for a second term following a disputed poll last year.
He was one of Africa’s most prominent coronavirus sceptics, and called for prayers and herbal-infused steam therapy to counter the virus.
Tanzania has not published details of its coronavirus cases since May, and the government has refused to purchase vaccines.
Mr Magufuli was last seen in public on 27 February, but Prime Minister Kassim Majaliwa insisted last week that the president was “healthy and working hard”.
He blamed the rumours of the president’s ill-health on “hateful” Tanzanians living abroad.
But opposition leader Tundu Lissu told the BBC that his sources had told him Mr Magufuli was being treated in hospital for coronavirus in Kenya.
On Monday, police said they had arrested four people on suspicion of spreading rumours on social media that the president was ill.
On March 11 2020, the World Health Organization declared that the COVID-19 public health emergency had become a pandemic: 114 countries were affected, there were 121,500 confirmed cases and more than 4,000 people had succumbed to the virus.
One year on, we have now seen 115 million confirmed cases globally and more than 2.5 million deaths from COVID-19.
“Pandemic is not a word to use lightly or carelessly,” said the Director-General of the WHO, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus on that day in 2020. But in the year since that announcement, the fates of many countries have depended on how leaders have chosen their words.
The impact of the pandemic was unprecedented and all governments faced challenges dealing with a severe but highly unpredictable threat to the lives of their citizens. And some governments responded better than others.
While some leaders were swinging into action, Boris Johnson was shaking hands with COVID patients. Will Oliver
My colleagues and I recently carried out a comparative study of how 27 countries responded to the emergence of the virus and first wave, and how they communicated that response to their citizens.
We invited national experts to analyse their government’s communication style, the flow of information on coronavirus and the actions taken by civil society, mapping these responses onto the numbers of cases and deaths in the country in question. Our work reveals contrasting responses that reflect a nation’s internal politics, suggesting that a government’s handling of the pandemic was embedded in existing patterns of leadership.
With news of the spread of COVID-19 flowing across international borders, domestic preventative measures needed to be explained carefully. The WHO proved ill-equipped, provided equivocal and flawed advice regarding international travel, even from Hubei province, and equivocated on the efficacy of wearing masks. So much came down to how individual leaders communicated with their citizens about the risks they faced.
Experts in crisis management and social psychologists emphasise the importance of clarity and empathy in communicating during a health emergency.
So who did well and who missed the mark?
South Korea and Ghana
We found two major examples of this style of communication working well in practice. South Korea avoided a lockdown due to clearly communicating the threat of COVID-19 as early as January, encouraging the wearing of masks (which were common previously within the nation in response to an earlier Sars epidemic) and quickly rolling out a contact-tracing app.
Each change in official alert level, accompanied by new advice regarding social contact, was carefully communicated by Jung Eun-Kyung, the head of the country’s Centre for Disease Control, who used changes in her own life to demonstrate how new guidance should work in practice.
Ghana’s President
The transparency of this approach was echoed in the communication style of the Ghanaian president, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.
Akufo-Addo took responsibility for coronavirus policy and explained carefully each measure required, being honest about the challenges the nation faced. Simple demonstrations of empathy earned him acclaim within his nation and also around the world.
“We know how to bring the economy back to life. What we don’t know is how to bring people back to life,” he famously said.
Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has been clear and transparent in his messaging on coronavirus.
Brazil, the UK and India
South Korea and Ghana adopted a consistent tone highlighting the risks of the new pandemic and how they could be mitigated. Nations that fared less well encouraged complacency and gave out inconsistent messages about the threat of COVID-19.
In March 2020, just three weeks prior to placing the country under lockdown and catching COVID-19 himself, UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson downplayed the threat, and said he had been shaking hands with infected people, against the recommendations of his expert advisers. Today, the UK has one of the highest per capita death rates from COVID in the world.
Avoiding a full initial lockdown, Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro – who also contracted COVID-19 – called for normality to continue, challenging expert guidance and polarising opinion along partisan lines. Such practices led Brazilians to mistrust the official information and spread of misinformation, while adhering to containment measures became an ideological, rather than a public health, question.
‘It’s just a little flu.’ Brazil would be haunted by its president’s downplaying of the threat of COVID-19. Fernando Bizerra/EPA
Meanwhile, Indian prime minister, Narendra Modi, announced a snap lockdown with just four hours notice, which caused an internal migration crisis, with poor labourers leaving cities to walk hundreds or thousands of miles to their rural homes. Understandably, the labourers prioritised their fears of homelessness and starvation over the risk of spreading COVID-19 around the country.
None of these responses effectively considered the impact that coronavirus would have on society, or that credibility is earned through consistency. The poor outcomes in each case are a partial reflection of these leadership mistakes.
Bad luck or bad judgement?
Of course, the unfolding of the pandemic was not solely down to good or bad communication from leaders. Health systems and demographics may also have played a role, and the worst impacted nations not only had strategic weaknesses but are also global transport hubs and popular destinations – London, New York, Paris and so on. With hindsight, closing borders would have been wise, despite the contrary advice from the World Health Organization.
Still, it’s evident that leaders who adopted clear, early, expert-led, coherent and empathic guidance fared well in terms of their standing with the public and were able to mitigate the worst effects of the virus.
On the other hand, those who politicised the virus, exhibited unrestrained optimism or took to last-minute decision-making oversaw some of the nations with the most cases and deaths.
President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, will in the afternoon of Tuesday, March 9, 2021 deliver his first State of the Nation address, after his electoral victory in the December 7, 2020 presidential election.
The electoral victory gave the President a second term of office, after being president of Ghana from January 7, 2017 to January 6, 2021.
The address will be given before Parliament House, in Osu-Accra, is in accordance with Article 67 of the 1992 Constitution of Ghana which mandates the President to present to Parliament the address at the beginning of each session of Parliament.
He delivered the last State of the Nation Address (SONA), which was also a requirement of the 1992 Constitution, to the nation before the august House to the nation, on January 5, 2021, before the Seventh Parliament dissolved on January 6, 2021.
Tuesday’s SONA, will be the first of the Eighth Parliament, and it is expected to recap achievements of the Akufo-Addo led government of the New Patriotic Party (NPP).
It is also expected to project into the first of the next four years, government programmes and what strategies the Government intends implementing to achieve them; and rally the people of Ghana towards accelerated national development and progress.
The President would also likely touch on the existence and the position of Ghana, and its role in the comity of nations and international affairs, in addition to measures for improved security and Ghana’s participation in international trade, investment and business.
“The House will be privileged to receive the President who is obligated to deliver the State of the Nation Address. His Excellency has given an indication to me that he is ready to do the obligation on Tuesday 9th March 2021,” Speaker Alban Bagbin said in the House last week.
Three days later, on Friday, March 5, 2021, Majority Leader and Chairman of Parliament’s Business Committee Osei Kyei-Mensah Bonsu, announced on the floor of the House that “the Address by the President will take place in the tent erected at the forecourt of Parliament.”
Public Affairs Department of Parliament has however announced that the event, scheduled for the morning has changed to1400 hours.
“This change has been necessitated by the Business of the House for the week,” a notice from the department said.
The notice also indicated that the event would be held under the observance and compliance of all the COVID-19 protocols, thus only invited guests would be admitted.
After the presentation of the SONA, a motion would be moved on Wednesday, March 10, 2021, to thank the President for the message. Each mover and seconder would be allotted 25 minutes, other members 10 minutes, and winding up by Leadership 30 minutes.
“The allotment of time is to ensure that as many Members as possible are availed the opportunity to contribute to the debate on the Message by the President since only two days would be devoted to the debate due to the exigencies of the remainder of this Meeting,” the Majority Leader announced.
