Source: myjoyonline. com - Mr. Djibril Kanazoe, does not dispute his friendship with Ghana’s President John Dramani Mahama. That would be difficult for the President and Director-General of Groupe Kanazoe to deny because the interview is conducted in his office.
There are two photographs in his Africa Motors office in the Le Zad suburb of Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso. On the wall to his left is the painting of his late father, El Hadj Oumarou Kanazoe. On the wall to his right is the photograph of him (Djibril Kanazoe) and President John Mahama, sitting on a couch and smiling. The two met in 2010.
When his father died in October 2011, Mr. John Dramani Mahama, then the Vice President of Ghana, sent a delegation to his village in Burkina Faso to mourn with him and also make a funeral donation. That delegation included a Minister of State, Mr. Mark Owen Woyongo.
The renowned Burkinabe contractor does not shy away from talking about his closeness with Ghana’s President. What upsets him and causes him to stop the interview and seize my voice recorder is what he says is the overly probing nature of the interview.
“Where it is going, it’s too far for me,” he says. “If you tell me we want to talk about this thing, we talk about it. We finish; you jump into another thing to trap me. I won’t agree…This is a trap!” he yells, and descends to the ground floor to look for his press attaché.
The day is April 26, 2016. And the time is 2:00 PM in the Ouagadougou, the capital city of Burkina Faso. I’m here to investigate allegations that Mr. Djibril Kananzoe used undue influence to get contracts and paid bribes to some Ghanaian officials, allegations he denies. Djibril Kanazoe is the contractor who built the $650,000 Ghana Embassy fence wall in Burkina Faso.
He is also the only African contractor who won part of the contract on the Eastern Corridor Road Project, one of the biggest road projects ever to be undertaken in Ghana.
The $650,000 Ghana Embassy Fence wall contract
In September 2014, when officials of the Bank of Ghana appeared before the Public Accounts Committee of Parliament (PAC), it emerged that an amount of $656, 246.48 had been spent on the construction of a fence wall over a parcel of land belonging to the Ghana Embassy in Burkina Faso. PAC ordered the Bank of Ghana to investigative what it termed the “outrageous” cost of the project.
When Joy News wrote to the Bank of Ghana in April this year to ascertain whether that probe was done, the Central Bank replied our letter, stating:
“We wish to indicate that our recall of proceedings of that day and subsequent reference to our records show that, the Bank of Ghana only acted as Bankers obeying the rightful and legal instructions of its customer, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, to transfer the said amount to the designated beneficiary and debit its nominated account. Beyond this, the bank is not privy to any processes culminating in the spending of the amount in reference.
“We, therefore, recommend that you direct your request to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs which will be better positioned to give you all the circumstances of the transaction,” the Bank of Ghana letter dated May 6, 2016, and signed by Alethea Godson-Amamoo for the Secretary, concluded.
When I asked why the Bank of Ghana did not tell the Public Accounts Committee that it could not undertake the investigation, a senior official at the Bank said the bank didn’t want to embarrass the Committee. Telling them this, according to the source, would have created the impression that the Committee did not know where to direct the order for investigation.
A letter to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration on the matter and subsequent follow-ups did not yield any results.
But Djibril Kanazoe says the scope of work on the wall merits the amount that was voted for the project. He says the wall, which is about the size of a football pitch, was built with two layers of blocks with concrete in-between the blocks. “It is not an ordinary wall,” he says.
Three sides of the wall are built with “blocks and concrete” while the side facing the main road is iron bars with pillars. There are two security posts at the two entrances too. The land is bare except two old “dawadawa” trees in the middle of the plot. Mr. Kanazoe says some part of the land was leveled with soil.
Allegations of Procurement Breaches
According to sources close to the project, the procurement process was breached to favour the eventual winner of the contract.
When asked how he got to know about the contract, Mr. Djibril Kanazoe said the Ghana Embassy in Ouagadougou wrote to his company to request price quotations for the project. He submitted the quotes and was selected.
Ghana’s Ambassador to Burkina Faso at the time of the project, Chief Dauda Mandiaya Bawumia, said he also wrote to two other contractors to submit quotations for the project, which he forwarded to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration in Ghana. The Ministry, he says, eventually settled on Mr. Kanazoe’s company. He, however, does not remember the other two companies he wrote to for the quotation. Attempts to get that information from the Ministry have failed.
When asked about his alleged closeness with Mr. Dzibril Kanazoe, Ambassador Bawumia, admits the contractor has been his friend. “He was my friend, and he is still my friend,” he emphasised. He said he was aware at the time of the contract that Djibril Kanazoe was also President Mahama’s friend. He, however, denied allegations that he skewed the procurement process to favour Djibril Kanazoe.
A former Chief Executive Officer of the Public Procurement Authority, Mr. Agyenim Boateng Agyei, says a contract of that nature did not qualify to be awarded through the procurement process that was used. He said any contract beyond GHc20,000 ought to be opened to competitive tendering.
According to him, if for any reason, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs wanted to award the contract through restricted tendering, it ought to have obtained approval from the Public Procurement Authority (PPA).
Joy News contacted the PPA to find out whether the Ministry obtained any approval for the said contract, but the authority declined to give any information. A senior official of the PPA said the Public Procurement Law did not name the media as part of the institutions to which it could disclose information on public procurements. The Foreign Affairs Ministry has not yet responded to our request for information on the contract.
Dodo Pepeso-Nkwanta road contract worth €25.9million
In 2012, Djibril Kanazoe won the contract to construct the 46-kilometre Dodo Pepeso-Nkwanta road. That road was completed and inaugurated in April this year by President John Mahama, who praised the Burkinabe contractor very highly.
“I also want to take the opportunity to thank Messrs Oumarou Kanazoe Contractors Limited of Burkina Faso for the very high quality of work they have done on this stretch of road. As I have said, perhaps, this is one of the best quality roads in Ghana today and I will urge the Minister of Road and Highways to bring other contractors to come and see so that they can emulate it in other parts of the country,” President Mahama Mahama said on April 19, 2016, when he commissioned.
The Roads and Highways Minister, Inusah Fuseini, says due process was followed and that Kanazoe was the deserving winner of the contract.
GHc82 million sole sourcing contract
The Ministry of Roads and Highways is in the process of awarding Oumarou Kanazoe Construction Limited a contract worth GHc 82million on single source procurement basis.
The sector Minister, Inusah Fuseini, says the Burkinabe contractor is being handpicked for the 28-kilometre road project because of the quality of the road and the fact that he is near the project site. He said moving from Burkina Faso to the Hamile area will be easy for the contractor whose tools and equipment are in Burkina Faso.
Another reason Inusah Fuseini says Kanazoe is being considered for the project is the fact that he did Burkina Faso-Hamile stretch of the road and that he was familiar with the terrain.
According to Section 40, of the Public Procurement Law, the minister’s reasons do not form part of the conditions that allow for the award of contracts through sole-sourcing. This raises more questions why this method is being used especially when the beneficiary is the contractor who gave President John Mahama a brand new Ford expedition.
The Ford Expedition “Gift” to President Mahama
There is evidence that the contractor gave a brand new Ford Expedition out (2010 model) as a “gift” to President John Mahama in 2012, the year he won the two contracts in Ghana.
After justifying the cost of the wall project and defending the process through which he secured the contracts, I ask Mr. Djibril Kanazoe: “There was this vehicle you gave in 2012 – that was a Ford Expedition – was it meant for the ambassador or it was meant for the President?”
“That one, I’m not aware of that one. I’m just aware of the wall,” he denies.
“But you also gave a Ford Expedition car to the Ambassador, and I want to know
who it was intended for,” I asked again.
“No, I did not give a Ford Expedition to the Ambassador,” he says. “If you have a letter showing that I gave a car to the ambassador, show me.”
I show him the letter. It is a Laissez-Passer dated October 29, 2012, and signed by the Head of Chancery at the Ghana Embassy in Burkina Faso, Maxwell Nyarko-Lartey, for the Head of Mission. The letter, which was addressed to the Divisional Commander of the Ghana Revenue Authority at the Paga Border, reads in full:
“I have been directed to inform you that the Ghana Mission in Ouagadougou is assisting with the Transportation of a gift donated to His Excellency John Dramani Mahama, President of the Republic of Ghana by Mr. Djibril Kanazoe, a
renowned Contractor in Burkina Faso.
“The said gift is a Ford Expedition with engine No. E173A1905101 and Chassis No. 1FMJUIJ58AEB748.
“I am to request the competent Ghanaian Boarder Authorities at the Paga Border to kindly assist with the passage of the said vehicle and those transporting it without any let or hindrance.
“I wish to take this opportunity on behalf of his Excellency the Ambassador to express the Mission’s appreciation in anticipation of your kind cooperation.”
When I read the letter to Djibril Kanazoe, he admits sending the vehicle to President John Mahama, but insists it was a gift, and not a bribe.
“Did you give a ‘gift’ to the President?” I asked for emphasis.
“Yes!” he answered. “This is the Ford Expedition I sent to the President in 2012 as a gift,” he says pointing to the letter.
“What did the President do to deserve a gift,” I ask.
“He is my friend.” He stops the interview at a point I ask how he became friends with the President. When the recorder is off and as we argue on the interview, he reveals how he and President Mahama became friends. That part of the conversation is captured by a secret camera.
How the contractor and the President became friends
Djibril Kanazoe reveals that his friendship with President John Mahama started when he wanted a road contract in Ghana, but failed to win the bid.
“I have been going to Ghana since 2003. The people from Mechanical Llyod, somebody was my friend there. My friend helped me to set up this company [Africa Motors in Burkina Faso]. His name is Morkporkpor. My friend’s friend is Mike Aidoo.
He is a contractor – Mikado. When we went there, he told me to come and do the roads in Ghana because he had seen the work I have done here [in Burkina Faso],” he told me.
“So we made the first tender. When we made the tender, we didn’t win. One day he told me he know [sic] the Vice President [John Mahama] so let’s go to salute [greet] him. We went to salute him and I show [sic] him what we does [sic] in Burkina Faso. And we became friends. We talk a lot! We talk a lot. One day my father died, he sent a delegation to my village to salute the family,” he said.
Ghana’s Ambassador to Burkina Faso who selected Kanazoe’s company for the fence wall project says the contractor is his friend.
He also said he was aware he was the President’s friend. It is not clear how that friendship with the Vice President influenced his later bids for contracts in Ghana but there is evidence that he had at least two contracts in Ghana – the embassy fence wall and the Eastern Corridor road project. At the inauguration of the road he constructed, President John Mahama commended his company highly.
Tracking the Ford Expedition “gift” to the President
Ghana’s Ambassador to Burkina Faso at the time, Chief Dauda Mandiaya Bawumiah, accompanied the vehicle from Ouagadougou to Bolgatanga and handed it over to then Upper East Regional Minister, Mr. Mark Owen Woyongo, to be sent to President Mahama in Accra. Chief Bawumia has confirmed this. “I believe he
would have handed it over to the President,” he said.
Mr. Woyongo could be reached for comment but Djibril Kanazoe said President Mahama acknowledged receipt of the vehicle. “He called and said thank you very much,” the contractor said.
Joy News investigation has revealed that the said Ford Expedition entered Ghana on October 29th, 2012, with one Quedraogo Cheik Mohammed as the importer. The Ford Expedition was declared as a “used” vehicle and cleared in Tema on 13th February, 2013, by Vision Logistics Limited, a private clearing agent. The Customs Declaration Number of the vehicle is given as 420130771843/0.
It is not clear why the vehicle was declared as a used vehicle. The giver of the gift as well as Ghana’s ambassador who facilitated the transportation of the Ford Expedition to Ghana, said the vehicle was a brand new one. A source at the Customs Division of the GRA said sometimes goods are under-declared in order to reduce the value of import and the duty to be paid.
A duty of GHc23, 646.41 was paid on the vehicle. All other details of the vehicle, including receipt numbers, are captured except the registration details at the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA).
The person in whose name the vehicle was registered as well as the vehicle’s registration number are not found in the system of the DVLA when Joy News checked.
According to highly placed sources within the DVLA and the Customs Division of the Ghana Revenue Authority, the absence of details meant that the vehicle had either not been registered, or that the registration details were deliberately deleted from the records of the DVLA.
No “responsible Leader” would accept such gift – Daniel Batidam
According to President John Mahama’s code of ethics for ministers and political appointees, gifts that are to be accepted without any conditions should not exceed GHc200 or $50. Sources close to the vehicle say its value was over $100,000 or nearly.
Mr. Daniel Batidam, the Advisor on Governance at the Office of the President, is of the view that “the motivation for a gift is even more important than the quantum.” He believes if motivation is to influence the public official, the quantum of the should not stop people from questioning the gift.
Mr. Batidam, an anti-corruption crusader who once headed the Ghana Integrity Initiative, also advises the President on corruption. He is the key person who speaks on corruption at the Presidency. I did not tell him I was investigating the conduct of the President.
I ask Mr. Daniel Batidam that if the President sought his advice on whether or not to accept a gift with the value of about $100,000 from a contractor who does business with the government, what his advice would be.
He smiles and replies, “Well, I’m sure you know that these are not situations that would occur in reality in terms of the kind of president we have.”
“It’s a hypothetical situation,” I tell him.
“I think it’s obvious. It’s obvious that any leader, any president: not even a president, a minister; a responsible public servant would know that that situation could put him in a situation of not only conflict of interest but potentially being corrupted.
“And so I think it goes without saying that you cannot take gifts from sources that have the potential of influencing your decision making. It’s not acceptable. I think a responsible leader, minister [or] senior public servant would not need to be advised on that.”
Is the President’s “gift” a bribe, conflict of interest or both?
Article 284 of the 1992 Constitution of Ghana states, “A public officer shall not put himself in a position where his personal interest conflicts or is likely to conflict with the performance of the functions of his office.”
According to the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) Guidelines on Conflict of Interest, “A conflict of interest occurs when the promotion of the private interest of the public official results or is intended to result or appears to be or has the potential to result in the following: (a) an interference with the objective exercise of the person’s duties; and (b) an improper benefit or an advantage by virtue of his/her position.
President John Mahama’s “Code of Ethics for Ministers and Political Appointees” also states among other things that a conflict of interest “may arise if a Minister’s family or personal friends might derive, or be perceived as deriving some personal, financial or other benefits from a decision or action by the Minister or the Government.”
According to Daniel Batidam, all the provisions on conflict of interest by CHRAJ, the President’s own code of Conduct and the Conduct of Public Officers’ Bill 2013, are binding on the President.
“These minimum standards apply to all public officials at all levels, including the President. The President is the number one public official of the land, so anything that has to do with the conduct of public officials begins and ends with the President,” he says.
On gifts, Section 21 (b) of Conduct of Public Officers’ Bill 2013 states: “A public officer shall not accept a gift, a favour or an advantage, that has the potential to influence the proper discharge of the public officer’s functions or judgment, from a person with whom the public officer comes into contact in relation to the public officer’s functions.”
President Mahama’s Code of Ethics stipulates: “To avoid the creation or appearance of an obligation, gifts in cash or kind are not to be solicited or accepted from a commercial enterprise or any other organisation. An exception to this would be the acceptance of a presentation made during a visit to an organisation.”
Even though Djibril Kanazoe says he gave the gift in his private capacity to President Mahama, Daniel Batidam says “that is even worse. When it comes to personal gifts, what would be the motive?…So long as they are interacting with the public official in their public capacity it is grounds enough to question whether it is acceptable or not.”
Mr. Batidam says the private sector, which “ is the supply side of corruption,” often has motives for which they want to give gifts to public officials.
“If the there are grounds to believe that or if it is common knowledge that the person bringing the gift has an interest that could have motivated the gift in the first place, then it is obvious that the receiver, public servant, be he president, [or] minister should exercise better judgment and say, ‘I can’t take this gift.’”
He said a gift to the President by a contractor “qualifies as a conflict of interest situation… The fact that there is a potential for people to believe that you are getting the contract because you are giving gifts, it’s not something we can rule out.”
A gift can be bribe
Explaining the concept of conflict of interest and gifts to public officials, a former Commissioner of CHRAJ, Justice Emile Short, says there is a thin line between a gift to a public officer and a bribe.
“Gifts can be given to public officers to influence them in the exercise of their duties,” he tells me in an interview. “Even the guidelines issued by CHRAJ talk about accepted and prohibited gifts because that is one way in which people can bribe a public officer to influence the exercise of his or her functions.”
As a Commissioner of CHRAJ, Justice Emile Short recalls he once ruled that a gift that was given to a public officer was a bribe: “The MD of Ghana Reinsurance Company had accepted $96,000 for changing the insurance broker of Ghana Airways. The public officer thought it was a gift; he had succeeded in getting a better deal for the Ghana Airways, but we held that it was a bribe. It wasn’t a gift and it cannot be a gift,” Justice Short says.
“If the gift is given with the intention of influencing the exercise of the public officers duty, then obviously, it is a bribe,” Justice Emile Short emphasises. But whose duty is it to ascertain the motive for the gift? The various codes of conduct mentioned above and the CHRAJ Guidelines on Conflict of Interest place that responsibility on the public official.
According to Daniel Batidam, it is the duty of “all responsible public officials – ministers, appointees, senior public servants – to examine the motives for which gifts are brought to them. It would be unacceptable for me in a certain position to say that I do not understand or I didn’t know that the gifts being brought are meant o influence me.”
Justice Emile short says gifts and conflict of interest are a form of corruption. Daniel Batidam holds the same view.
“If conflict of interest is not corruption, what is corruption then? If you’re in conflict of interest and also are found to have abused your office and yet you are not corrupt, what is corruption? We define corruption as an abuse of entrusted of power,” he said.
Best Practices elsewhere
Daniel Batidam is of the view that if the fight against corruption can yield any meaningful results, then issues of gifts, conflict of interest and codes of conduct must be taken seriously. He says in advanced democracies, such standards and transparency have helped to minimise corruption.
Even though he cannot categorically tell if there is a transparent way of declaring gifts that are given to public officers in their public capacity, he says the problem dealing with prohibited gifts to public officials in Ghana is that such gifts are not given transparently.
In the United states, for instance, one can find all the accepted gifts given to the US Presidents and their spouses on their foreign on the website of the Protocol Gift Unit of the US Department of State.
The gifts, their estimated value and the reason why the Presidents or their spouses did not reject the gifts are declared and recorded.
In 2008, President John Agyekum Kufuor gave Gold necklace, earrings, and
bracelet set featuring symbols of Ghana to First Lady Mrs. Laura Bush when she and her husband visited Ghana. The gift was Recorded on 2/21/2008, and its estimated value was given as $2,000.00. The reason for accepting the gift was: “Non-acceptance would cause embarrassment to donor and U.S. Government.” Today, that gift can be found in George W. Bush Library and Museum in Dallax, Texas.
Can one find official gifts which Ghanaian Presidents and their spouses receive in their foreign trips?
Daniel Batidam says there ought to be a register of a sort to record them but he is not sure. For gifts from contractors and private individuals, he says there is no transparency in how they are given so it is difficult to track and assess them.
Can the President influence award of contracts?
In a recent interview with the BBC which President Mahama denied ever accepting a bribe, the President also said he had never involved himself or his office (the Presidency) directly in any public procurement deal. But a leaked letter in the controversial contract awarded to West Blue Limited seems to contradict this claim.
In the leaked letter, the Chief of Staff, on instructions of President John Mahama, ordered the Finance Ministry to take steps in appointing West Blue Company as a new company to operate a national single window at the country's ports.
The letter dated May 12, 2015, said: "In pursuant to his Excellency the President's decision you are directed to formally engage West Blue Ghana Ltd to undertake the following services;
1. Software implementation and support activities to GRA and related agencies for takeover of functions of DICs on 1 September, 2015.
"...You should take the necessary steps to secure the Public Procurement Approval in order to engage West Blue on Single Source basis," the letter said.
No need for proof or evidence
Justice Emile Short says in matters of conflict of interest, “it’s not necessary to prove that the public officer’s exercise of his or her duty or her duty or function has been influenced but if the conduct appears or has the potential to give that impression, then it also constitute conflict of interest.”
Daniel Batidam, on the other hand, is of the view that if there is conflict of interest, there are still grounds to question how the a contractor won a contract even if the procurement procedure was followed.
“That is why the whole issue of examining contracts becomes a tricky thing. Sometimes those who win contracts, you go and they say we wanted the lowest [bidder] and we got the lowest. But what did it take, what did it cost to make that the lowest bidder. Sometimes it meant something that is hidden.
“Between the supply and the demand, the private sector and the public sector… contractors who bribe – well, let’s say they give gifts that could amount to bribe – It’s a very thin line. That’s why some of us believe that the issue of bringing proof is impossible…because when they say bring proof and the proof is with the one you seek to or allege to be corrupt, that can be a herculean task.”
Sunday, 19 June 2016
Ghana General Election 2016 Predicted !
Ghana’s economic slowdown is expected to see president Mahama lose the November 7 polls, a report by the EIU predicts.
– The report which further suggests that the opposition NPP will win the general election predicts that a victory for the opposition party will come as a result of hard work
The Economic Intelligence Unit (EIU) has for the second time in its report on Ghana’s 2016 election predicted that the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) will win the November 7 elections citing cases of a weakened economy among others as critical reasons.
The report which predicts that the Greater Accra is likely to determine who wins the general election has concluded that there is little time for President Mahama and the NDC to put things right before the elections start.
“The president, John Mahama and the National Democratic Congress (NDC) government will bear the brunt of the blame for the (economic) situation with the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) attempting to act as a focus for disenchanted Ghanaians to rally around, knowing that attacking the government’s economic record represents its best chance of taking power at the elections set for November 2016,” portions of the report predicted
The report continues to add that the opposition New Patriotic Party will have to work harder in order to garner the most votes during the presidential and parliamentary elections.
“The outcome is by no means a foregone conclusion, however, with the results likely to be close. The NPP will need to work hard to attract votes from outside its heartlands in central Ghana while maintaining internal unity. Meanwhile, the NDC will continue to enjoy strong support in the east and north of the country, owing to historical and tribal allegiances. Greater Accra, a historical swing state, will be a key battleground, and so tensions in this economic hub could disrupt business operations. The following national elections will then be due in 2020,” the report added.
While the report cast dark fortunes for the NDC, its deputy General Secretary Koku Anyhidoho welcomed the report. as he has referred to portions of the report which says Ghana is on the verge of exponential economic growth between 2017 to 2019. According to Koku Anyhidoho, this prediction destroys the NPP narrative that the Mahama-led government has destroyed the economy concluding that the report endorses the NDC view that the President has invested massively in infrastructural development necessary for an economic take-off.
The Economic Intelligence Unit (EIU) is a UK based think tank which provides forecasting and advisory services through research and analysis, monthly country reports, five-year country economic forecasts, country risk service reports, and industry reports.
President John Mahama lose the November 7 polls, a report by the EIU predicts.
Ghana’s economic slowdown is expected to see president Mahama lose the November 7 polls, a report by the EIU predicts.The report which further suggests that the opposition NPP will win the general election predicts that a victory for the opposition party will come as a result of hard work
The Economic Intelligence Unit (EIU) has for the second time in its report on Ghana’s 2016 election predicted that the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) will win the November 7 elections citing cases of a weakened economy among others as critical reasons.
The report which predicts that the Greater Accra is likely to determine who wins the general election has concluded that there is little time for President Mahama and the NDC to put things right before the elections start.
“The president, John Mahama and the National Democratic Congress (NDC) government will bear the brunt of the blame for the (economic) situation with the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) attempting to act as a focus for disenchanted Ghanaians to rally around, knowing that attacking the government’s economic record represents its best chance of taking power at the elections set for November 2016,” portions of the report predicted
The report continues to add that the opposition New Patriotic Party will have to work harder in order to garner the most votes during the presidential and parliamentary elections.
“The outcome is by no means a foregone conclusion, however, with the results likely to be close. The NPP will need to work hard to attract votes from outside its heartlands in central Ghana while maintaining internal unity. Meanwhile, the NDC will continue to enjoy strong support in the east and north of the country, owing to historical and tribal allegiances. Greater Accra, a historical swing state, will be a key battleground, and so tensions in this economic hub could disrupt business operations. The following national elections will then be due in 2020,” the report added.
While the report cast dark fortunes for the NDC, its deputy General Secretary Koku Anyhidoho welcomed the report. as he has referred to portions of the report which says Ghana is on the verge of exponential economic growth between 2017 to 2019. According to Koku Anyhidoho, this prediction destroys the NPP narrative that the Mahama-led government has destroyed the economy concluding that the report endorses the NDC view that the President has invested massively in infrastructural development necessary for an economic take-off.
The Economic Intelligence Unit (EIU) is a UK based think tank which provides forecasting and advisory services through research and analysis, monthly country reports, five-year country economic forecasts, country risk service reports, and industry reports.
Saturday, 18 June 2016
600,000 marriages contracted in Ghana Collapse Every Year !
I like Bishop Dag Heward-Mills for his frankness and confrontational honesty. While pundits and journalists extolled the peace-loving nature of Ghanaians and the fairness of our justice system for allowing the results of our 2012 elections to be contested in the Supreme Court, Bishop Heward-Mills dished out the real truth about the people of Ghana: We are hypocrites and not as religious as we think. We are not a sincere people if we cannot conduct genuine elections when nearly 70% of Ghanaians go to church and some 18% go to the mosque to flaunt their faith in God. It’s all a façade. Well, there is another disturbing revelation about the hypocrisy of the people of Ghana that shakes the foundations of our family values and traditional beliefs. Last week, the Ghana Statistical Service reported that nearly 600,000 marriages contracted in Ghana have collapsed, more than three times the divorce cases of England and Wales put together in 2012. Yet we have always lamented the divorce rates in countries in the West, and patted ourselves for not being as vane and irreligious as other people. On Joy FM’s Ghana Connect, my favourite journalist, Evans Mensah, sampled the views of a marriage counsellor, radio relationship talk show host, and married Ghanaians in Ghana and abroad. While many of them put it down to boring sex, the marriage counsellor threw some brilliant flashes of thoughtful insight on something we all take for granted: The reasons that compel any couple to divorce predate the marriage. In other words, the couple knew the reasons before they said ‘I do’, but they decided to ignore them. The other revelation was that men marry for two reasons: beauty and a very canal desire for legal and regular sex. Women want comfort and good sex, and often need men to understand that sex can be rationed like Akosombo electricity. Sex is a taboo subject in many Ghanaian marriages, it was also revealed. Couples find it difficult or perhaps ‘culturally inappropriate’ to discuss details of their sex lives and agree on sexual positions that promote better orgasms and great kinky satisfaction. Well, that is also true for the people of other cultures, especially in the West. The average white woman respects the boundaries of womanly modesty, and is usually not able to demand sex from her husband with brazen confidence. Like Ghanaian women, they can bear with bad sex and pretend it’s all good and stay married, because of the children. Like our women, they know sex is initiated by men and are only expected to respond. Those who do wife swaps are considered weird by their own families. I know this because I have had common law relationships with English and Canadian women. Apart from the food and language, and some manifestations of cultural differences, it is the same as living with a Ghanaian wife. ‘Fa ma Nyame’ is not an arbitrator in Ghana alone; most cultures let go and let God–for the sake of peace. So what has accounted for the many cases of divorce in Ghana when the people of cultures we have always branded ‘ungodly’ and ‘culturally unrestricted’ are keeping their marital vows? After staying away for twelve years in other cultures, I came to Ghana in January this year to find a society that still keeps the values of our forefathers, but has grown with the times to put survival and interest first, and society second. While many Ghanaian ladies would want to marry before having children, and not as single mothers, it is no more shameful to have a child out of wedlock. There is a growing number of middle-level career women in Ghana who have walked out of their marriages to be proud single mums. They are not in a rush to marry again, and they are not bothered. Similarly, there are successful Ghanaian men who are happy being good fathers to children from ‘baby mamas’. Their refrain is ‘we have a child together’ and they don’t intend marrying the mother of the baby. The two understand the terms of the relationship and do not see themselves as breaking any rules. They are not rushing to pose for cameras before a gathering of hypocrites to obtain permission to be happy or accepted. If society has prescribed norms for decency, society should accommodate the interests of people who have dared to choose another route to happiness. Ghanaians are marrying early these days, and it is very good. I have seen a few 25 year old young men who are married or are planning to settle down with their young sweethearts. There are better and well-paying employment opportunities in the country than what we found when we left university in the 90s and early 2000s. Our churches literally force young people to do ‘the right thing’ to avoid the temptation of fornication. Counselling sessions are quickly arranged for two youngsters who give the slightest indication of some form of friendship. They are prepared for an event, not marriage. Marriage experts say that quickie marriages lead to snappy divorces. Similarly, very expensive marriages do not work, especially when couples use another person’s marriage as a target, and set out to outspend them. Roverman’s Uncle Ebo Whyte warns of terrible consequences for such marriages. These also add to the divorce rate. Usually, we blame influences from foreign cultures for these problems. But what reasons do we have to blame the West when our friends in Britain are sticking to their vows when 600,000 of us have already been married and divorced. Some say a fraction of the huge figure may be the result of fraudulent marriages, where Ghanaians living abroad fly home to sign marriage papers with their relatives, to facilitate their travel abroad. Those marriages are abrogated the same day their visa is approved. Anyhow, we have a national crisis on our hands. A society that cannot hold family together cannot stand together. And when we don’t stand together, we cannot build a society. Source: Kwesi Tawiah-Benjamin
5 Mysterious Facts Aout Divorce
Many people think they have it all figured out when it comes to divorce. The whole “50 percent of marriages end in divorce” statistic gets thrown around a lot. Everyone knows someone whose family was torn apart by it. But there’s so much more to know about ending marriages.We gathered five things that may change your view about divorce. Check it out below:
#1. 50 Percent of Divorcees Regret Ending Their Marriage
Perhaps this means there is hope after all? A survey asked 2,000 UK men and women who are divorcees, or ended a relationship of at least five years, questions about their feelings over their breakups, and the answers were shocking. Half of them said they regret splitting ways, 54 percent had second thoughts, and 42 percent considered giving their relationship another try.
#2. The More You Get Remarried, The More Likely You’ll Get Divorced
Some believe you should try and try again when it comes to love, but should the same thought process go into marriage? Statistically, the answer is no. According to Divorce Statistics, the divorce rate for a first marriage is between 41 percent to 50 percent; second marriages have a divorce rate of 60 percent to 67 percent; and for third marriages, the divorce rate is between 73 percent to 74 percent.
#3. Divorce Rates are the Highest in the South
Since the South is usually pegged as being more tied to tradition and religion, you wouldn’t think it would have that high of a divorce rate. However, according to the Census Bureau’s last report comparing the country’s divorce rates, the South has the highest rate of divorce compared to other parts of the country (in 2009). Their rate of divorce was 10.2 per 1,000 men and 11.1 per 1,000 women. On the flip side, the Northeast had the lowest rate of divorce.
#4. Only ONE U.S. President Has Been Divorced
It’s kind of an unwritten rule that presidents have to appear to have a picture-perfect family. Because of that, only one U.S. President has been divorced, and that man was Ronald Reagan. In 1940, Reagan married actress Jane Wyman but later divorced in 1948. They had a daughter named Maureen and adopted a son named Michael together. He then remarried to an actress named Nancy Davis in 1952. They then had two children, Patricia and Ronald.
#5. Couples With Longer Commutes Are More Likely To Divorce
You might have never put these two things together, but if you commute at least 45 minutes one-way to work then your marriage is at risk, according to research done by Erica Sandow of Umea University in Sweden. Sandow tracked millions of people from 1995 to 2005. Of those people, 14 percent of couples in which one or both people had to commute at least 45 minutes broke up. On the other hand, 10 percent of couples with smaller commutes broke up. Just another reason long commutes are ruining your life.
- See more at: http://citifmonline.com/2014/09/13/the-statistics-of-separation-5-shocking-facts-about-divorce/#sthash.WWE6Z034.dpuf
#1. 50 Percent of Divorcees Regret Ending Their Marriage
Perhaps this means there is hope after all? A survey asked 2,000 UK men and women who are divorcees, or ended a relationship of at least five years, questions about their feelings over their breakups, and the answers were shocking. Half of them said they regret splitting ways, 54 percent had second thoughts, and 42 percent considered giving their relationship another try.
#2. The More You Get Remarried, The More Likely You’ll Get Divorced
Some believe you should try and try again when it comes to love, but should the same thought process go into marriage? Statistically, the answer is no. According to Divorce Statistics, the divorce rate for a first marriage is between 41 percent to 50 percent; second marriages have a divorce rate of 60 percent to 67 percent; and for third marriages, the divorce rate is between 73 percent to 74 percent.
#3. Divorce Rates are the Highest in the South
Since the South is usually pegged as being more tied to tradition and religion, you wouldn’t think it would have that high of a divorce rate. However, according to the Census Bureau’s last report comparing the country’s divorce rates, the South has the highest rate of divorce compared to other parts of the country (in 2009). Their rate of divorce was 10.2 per 1,000 men and 11.1 per 1,000 women. On the flip side, the Northeast had the lowest rate of divorce.
#4. Only ONE U.S. President Has Been Divorced
It’s kind of an unwritten rule that presidents have to appear to have a picture-perfect family. Because of that, only one U.S. President has been divorced, and that man was Ronald Reagan. In 1940, Reagan married actress Jane Wyman but later divorced in 1948. They had a daughter named Maureen and adopted a son named Michael together. He then remarried to an actress named Nancy Davis in 1952. They then had two children, Patricia and Ronald.
#5. Couples With Longer Commutes Are More Likely To Divorce
You might have never put these two things together, but if you commute at least 45 minutes one-way to work then your marriage is at risk, according to research done by Erica Sandow of Umea University in Sweden. Sandow tracked millions of people from 1995 to 2005. Of those people, 14 percent of couples in which one or both people had to commute at least 45 minutes broke up. On the other hand, 10 percent of couples with smaller commutes broke up. Just another reason long commutes are ruining your life.
Over 12,000 couples divorce in A.M.A Ghana
A total of 4,080 divorce cases were recorded in Accra alone over the last eight years.
According to the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA), the divorced marriages were mainly customary ones and occurred between 2006 and 2013.
Only the law courts have records of divorce in relation to ordinance marriage while the AMA keeps records of customary marriage and divorces.
Between January and April this year, the AMA recorded 204 divorce cases.
The highest divorce cases were recorded in 2006 - 633 cases; 2007 – 618; 2008 – 566; and 2011 - 504.
The year 2009 recorded the least number of cases of 407. This was followed by 427 cases in 2013, 468 in 2012, and 426 in 2010.
Within the same period, customary marriages registered are 2006 - 3,443; 2007 -1,541; 2008 - 2,087; 2009 - 2,309; 2010 - 3,426; 2011 - 4,082; 2012 - 4,270; and 2013 - 2,807.
Mr Fred Lumor, Head of Marriage Registry at AMA, said the figure could be higher if divorce cases for ordinance marriage were added.
He said even though notice of ordinance marriage is filed with the AMA and ordinance marriage conducted at the AMA, divorce figures are not filed at AMA.
He noted that under ordinance marriage, the couple files notice with AMA for 21 days, and if no objection is received, a certificate is issued to them to go ahead and get married.
Mr Lumor explained that after receiving the certificate, the couple has two months to get married, which they can do at a recognized church, Registrar General’s Department or at the AMA.
He was quick to add that objections can still be raised on the day of the marriage.
On customary marriage, he said the couple has to pick up a form at Ghana Publishing, fill, sign and go to court to prepare a statutory declaration to be done with their parents or relatives present.
Mr Lumor said the statutory declaration signed by a notary public officer is submitted to the AMA for scrutiny and approval.
Lawyers and marriage counsellors who spoke to The Finder attributed a number of factors for the increasing incidence of divorce cases.
One reason for divorce is the case of husbands beating their wives as a result of drug and alcohol use, financial difficulties, unemployment or frustrations.
Another reason is infidelity on the part of both parties as a result of prevailing conditions at home, especially when women are the breadwinners of the family, and some engage in infidelity to rake in additional money to make ends meet.
The lawyers and marriage counselors also mentioned the inability of a partner to satisfy the other sexually, as well as making the home not welcoming.
They stated that the inability of the man to provide for the needs of the family, such as feeding, housing and medicals, as a result of unemployment or underemployment also contributes to divorce.
According to the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA), the divorced marriages were mainly customary ones and occurred between 2006 and 2013.
Only the law courts have records of divorce in relation to ordinance marriage while the AMA keeps records of customary marriage and divorces.
Between January and April this year, the AMA recorded 204 divorce cases.
The highest divorce cases were recorded in 2006 - 633 cases; 2007 – 618; 2008 – 566; and 2011 - 504.
The year 2009 recorded the least number of cases of 407. This was followed by 427 cases in 2013, 468 in 2012, and 426 in 2010.
Within the same period, customary marriages registered are 2006 - 3,443; 2007 -1,541; 2008 - 2,087; 2009 - 2,309; 2010 - 3,426; 2011 - 4,082; 2012 - 4,270; and 2013 - 2,807.
Mr Fred Lumor, Head of Marriage Registry at AMA, said the figure could be higher if divorce cases for ordinance marriage were added.
He said even though notice of ordinance marriage is filed with the AMA and ordinance marriage conducted at the AMA, divorce figures are not filed at AMA.
He noted that under ordinance marriage, the couple files notice with AMA for 21 days, and if no objection is received, a certificate is issued to them to go ahead and get married.
Mr Lumor explained that after receiving the certificate, the couple has two months to get married, which they can do at a recognized church, Registrar General’s Department or at the AMA.
He was quick to add that objections can still be raised on the day of the marriage.
On customary marriage, he said the couple has to pick up a form at Ghana Publishing, fill, sign and go to court to prepare a statutory declaration to be done with their parents or relatives present.
Mr Lumor said the statutory declaration signed by a notary public officer is submitted to the AMA for scrutiny and approval.
Lawyers and marriage counsellors who spoke to The Finder attributed a number of factors for the increasing incidence of divorce cases.
One reason for divorce is the case of husbands beating their wives as a result of drug and alcohol use, financial difficulties, unemployment or frustrations.
Another reason is infidelity on the part of both parties as a result of prevailing conditions at home, especially when women are the breadwinners of the family, and some engage in infidelity to rake in additional money to make ends meet.
The lawyers and marriage counselors also mentioned the inability of a partner to satisfy the other sexually, as well as making the home not welcoming.
They stated that the inability of the man to provide for the needs of the family, such as feeding, housing and medicals, as a result of unemployment or underemployment also contributes to divorce.
Tuesday, 14 June 2016
Mermaids Caught On Camera & Spotted In Real Life! 2016
Mermaids Caught On Camera & Spotted In Real Life! 2016
FBI looking at whether Orlando gunman led a secret gay life
As victims described the bloody horror of the massacre during a riveting hospital news conference, investigators continued to gather information on the 29-year-old American-born Muslim — and took a close look at his wife, too — for clues to the attack that left 49 victims dead.
An official who was briefed on the progress of the case but insisted on anonymity to discuss a continuing investigation said authorities believe Mateen's wife knew about the plot ahead of time, but they are reluctant to charge her on that basis alone.
A number of possible explanations and motives for the bloodbath have emerged, with Mateen professing allegiance to the Islamic State group in a 911 call during the attack, his ex-wife saying he was mentally ill, and his father suggesting he was driven by hatred of gays.
On Tuesday, a U.S. official said the FBI is looking into a flurry of news reports quoting patrons of the Pulse as saying that Mateen frequented the nightspot and reached out to men on gay dating apps. The official was not authorized to discuss the investigation and spoke on condition of anonymity.
Some psychologists raised the possibility that Mateen was sexually conflicted and lashed out against gays, or that he was casing the nightclub for an attack and trying to find victims online.
Jim Van Horn, 71, told The Associated Press that he saw Mateen repeatedly at the bar and talked to him once.
"He was a homosexual and he was trying to pick up men," Van Horn said. "He would walk up to them and then he would maybe put his arm around 'em or something and maybe try to get them to dance a little bit or something."
The attack early Sunday ended with Mateen being shot to death by a SWAT team. Of the 53 people wounded, six were listed in critical condition Tuesday and five others were in guarded condition.
At a news conference at Orlando Regional Medical Center, shooting survivor Patience Carter described praying to die as she lay on a nightclub bathroom floor covered in water and blood. She said Mateen talked about wanting the U.S. to "stop bombing my country," a possible reference to his father's native Afghanistan.
"I really don't think I'm going to get out of there," Carter, 20, recalled. "I made peace with God. 'Just please take me. I don't want any more.' I was just begging God to take the soul out my body."
In Washington, President Barack Obama said investigators had no information to suggest a foreign terrorist group directed the attack. He said it was increasingly clear the killer "took in extremist information and propaganda over the internet. He appears to have been an angry, disturbed, unstable young man who became radicalized."
The president also blasted Donald Trump's anti-Muslim rhetoric as dangerous and contrary to American values, challenged Congress to reinstate the assault weapons ban, and lashed out at his Republican foes who have criticized him for not using the term "radical Islam."
"If someone seriously thinks we don't know who we're fighting, if there's anyone out there who thinks we're confused about who our enemies are," Obama said, "that would come as a surprise to the thousands of terrorists we've taken off the battlefield."
Gay dating app Jack'd said it has been unable to confirm so far that Mateen had a profile on the service. Grindr officials said they "will continue to cooperate with the authorities and do not comment on ongoing investigations." And Adam4Adam said the company is looking at conversations and profiles in the Orlando area for any activity by Mateen but hasn't found anything yet.
Mateen's father, Seddique Mateen, denied his son was gay and said that if he had been in the nightclub before, he may have been "scouting the place." The elder Mateen, who lives Port St. Lucie, Florida, said that apart from the time his son got angry a few months ago over seeing two men kissing, he never saw any anti-gay behavior from him.
Psychological studies have shown that some men with repressed same-sex desires may express anti-gay views, especially if they grew up in families that opposed homosexuality.
"People who are struggling to come to terms with their sexual identity do at times react to that by doing the exact opposite, which could be to become more masculine or more vocal about their ideals of a traditional family," said Michael Newcomb, a Northwestern University psychologist.
Mateen's ex-wife, Sitora Yusufiy, said earlier in the week that he was mentally ill, controlling and abusive. Amid the latest reports about his clubgoing, she told CNN: "Well, when we had gotten married, he confessed to me about his past that was recent at that time and that he very much enjoyed going to clubs and the nightlife and there was a lot of pictures of him."
"I feel like it's a side of him or a part of him that he lived but probably didn't want everybody to know about," she said.
The FBI has recovered Mateen's phone and will use location data to verify whether he previously visited the club, said a third official, who was not authorized to discuss the case and spoke on condition of anonymity.
Investigators working to determine whether anyone had advance knowledge of the attack have spoken extensively with Mateen's wife, Noor Salman, and are working to establish whether she and Mateen were recently at or inside the club, the official said. The official said investigators have not ruled out charging others, including the wife.
Orlando gunman's wife, Noor Salman, 'may face charges'
Prosecutors have convened a grand jury to investigate Noor Salman, wife of gunman Omar Mateen, sources quoted by Fox News and Reuters say.
She is reported to have told police she tried to talk her husband out of attacking the Pulse nightclub.
The attack in Florida was the worst mass shooting in recent US history.
Fifty-three people were wounded and six remain in a critical condition.
Prosecutors quoted by Fox News said they were seeking to charge Noor Salman as an accessory to 49 counts of murder and 53 counts of attempted murder, as well as with failure to warn authorities about the impending attack.
It was possible that Mateen had called his wife from inside the club while the killings were taking place, Fox quoted a source as saying.
Although Ms Salman has been questioned since the attack early on Sunday, she has not been arrested.
US Senator Angus King, a member of the Senate Intelligence Committee which received a briefing on the investigation, told CNN that "it appears she had some knowledge of what was going on".
"She definitely is, I guess you would say, a person of interest right now and appears to be co-operating and can provide us with some important information," he added.
On Tuesday, US media reported that Noor Salman had gone with Omar Mateen to buy ammunition and had also driven him to the Pulse nightclub on a previous occasion because he had wanted to survey it.
However, she said she had tried to talk her husband out of carrying out the attack, sources quoted by NBC News said.
Mateen's father, Seddique Mateen, said on Tuesday that Ms Salman - his son's second wife - had returned to the couple's flat on Monday to pick up some clothes. He said she and the couple's young son were still in Florida but declined to say where.
Mateen, 29, who was killed when police stormed the club, pledged allegiance to so-called Islamic State (IS) during the attack, authorities say.
He had visited the club as a guest several times over the past three years and interacted with other club goers on gay dating apps, witnesses said.
On Tuesday, President Barack Obama said Mateen appeared to have been "an angry, disturbed, unstable young man who became radicalised".
Investigators have said there is no evidence that Mateen had been in contact with any outside groups such as IS. Mateen was a US citizen, born in New York to Afghan immigrant parents.
President Obama will travel to the scene of the attack in Orlando on Thursday.
SSNIT spends GHC240m on posting cards
Dr. Prosper Ayisah, Takoradi Area Manager, revealed that in 2015 alone, the Trust paid the Ghana Post GH¢240 million or Express Mailing System to enable the Ghana Post distribute cards and other relevant documents to clients under the scheme.
He said because most addresses were either wrong or non-existent, officials of the EMS department had to do multiple roaming and searching to locate clients, which contributed to the huge cost incurred.
Dr. Ayisah said the monies could have been invested in the money markets, either through short or long term debentures to raise extra monies for the scheme, which could increase pension amount.
The Takoradi Area Manager therefore called on clients of the Trust to give proper details particularly residential details.
Mr Laud Senanu, General Manager Operations of SSNIT, encouraged employers to regularly submit the data of their employees to ensure a secured pension.
He said establishments who may have difficulty in paying for employees could visit any of the offices of the Trust and negotiate payment modules.
The Operations Manager said establishments or employers must register all employees saying, “The Social Security Law stipulates that within 30 days after commencement of business, employers must register with SSNIT.”
Mr. Senanu said the registration involves taking the bio data of the worker and issuing a social security card with a valid social security number adding, every social security scheme depends on the bio and the financial data of its members in its operations.
Periodically, he said compliance officers visit employers at their premises to carry out inspection to enforce compliance of the law and called on the media to help in the education.
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