Features
Domelevo: A set up against Akufo-Addo’s government?
The Executive Secretary to the President of the Republic of Ghana, Nana Bediatuo Asante, has fired an open letter to the Coalition of Civil Society Organizations, which were seemingly prodding on the immediate past Auditor General, Mr Daniel Yaw Domelevo, to “misbehave” towards the Akufo-Addo government.
The 21-page open letter, dated 19th March, 2021, and signed by Nana Bediatuo Asante, contains a lot of “fireworks” on corruption and retirement of Mr Domelevo.
From the detailed write-up of the Executive Secretary, explaining the issues related to “the rise and fall” of Mr Domelevo as Auditor General, one can make a lot of deductions to arrive at a number of conclusions.
For now, I will attempt to limit this piece to the issue related to Kroll Associates and the Senior Minister. The other issues may be considered in my subsequent write-ups.
Indeed, until the explanation in the open letter by the Executive Secretary, a lot of Ghanaians were misled into believing that the government and the Senior Minister had something sinister to do with the contract award to Kroll Associates.
The impression created was that, “create, loot and share” was “germinating” in the contract awarded to Kroll Associates because Mr Domelevo claimed that there was no evidence of any work done by Kroll Associates and yet over one million dollars had been paid to the company.
The public was also misled into thinking that the Senior Minister had colluded with Kroll Associates to milk the nation dry.
According to the open letter, government engaged Kroll Associates, a reputable international company, to assist in investigations into alleged corrupt acts of former President Mahama’s government.
Nana Bediatuo Asante says: “The work of Kroll Associates, under the agreement, includes asset tracing and asset searching …. which will be produced as evidence for prosecution and, therefore, considered as privileged and confidential information and reports.”
An example of Kroll Associates’ work is COCOBOD’s case in respect of the on-going trial of Dr Stephen K. Opuni and Seidu Agongo.
And when Mr Domelevo questioned the actual work done by Kroll Associates for which payment had been affected, the Senior Minister reportedly stated in his letter to the Auditor General that Kroll was still investigating some matters that were confidential, privileged and classified security matters, which could not be disclosed at that stage.
“They are, however, available at the office of the Senior Minister for your inspection and they will be available after the investigations for your inspection and study,” the Senior Minister added in his letter to the Auditor General.
After all, what is the essence of public officers swearing oath of allegiance to the state and swearing oath of secrecy? According to Nana Bediatuo, however, Mr Domelevo flatly refused to inspect the confidential documents and instead, issued a notice of specification and certification of disallowance against the Senior Minister and Kroll Associates.
The Senior Minister then appealed against the notice of disallowance and surcharge at the High Court and the High Court ordered Mr Domelevo to inspect the documents at the office of the Senior Minister.
Nana Bediatuo Asante said, Mr Domelevo engaged in “unacceptable and unconscionable conduct,” stressing that “his conduct was a patent abuse of office.”
However, the fact of the matter is that, Mr Domelevo started-off very well as Auditor General protecting the national purse. And almost every rational Ghanaian was enthused by the “revolutionary zeal” he adopted in performing his duties.
But in the belly of his “revolutionary zeal” was embedded intemperate and dictatorial tendencies, thus, seeing himself, as over and above the Audit Service Board and sometimes, saddling his appointing authority with very cheeky administrative issues.
Per our national constitution, no President of Ghana can be compelled to publicly assign reasons why he appoints Mr “A” or Mr “B” to certain political positions.
Again, per our national constitution, no President of Ghana can even be persuaded to publicly give reasons why he appoints Mrs “Q” or Mrs “Y” into any political office.
This is so, unless our cousins in the “wig profession” can point out where in the constitution, our President can be compelled to publicly tell the nation, why he appoints Mr “A” or Mr “B” into public office.
And our national constitution does not also say that our President must not appoint people into office even if they are very much aware that they have lost their mandate at the end of their tenure at December 7, polls.
The understanding is that the end of the tenure of our President comes on January 7, every four years, when he is handing over to a new President or to himself.
Otherwise, one would have asked former President Mahama a number of questions including: (a) Why was Mr Domelevo appointed at the “injury time” of his presidency?
(b) Why was Mr Domelevo’s appointment rushed through the Council of State on the 13th of December 2016?
(c) And his appointment letter dated December 30th, 2016 and delivered to him?
(d) Mr Mahama: Did you charge Mr Domelevo to “cover your back” for you in any alleged corrupt or fraud case involving your government; that ought to be investigated by the Auditor General and frustrate such actions?
From the fallout of Mr Domelevo’s appointment, will it be out of place for a law to be instituted against substantive appointment of any high-ranking state official, three months before general elections?
Such high-ranking state officials, in my view, must be categorised in law. For instance, if it is heads of constitutional bodies or heads of the security services, it must be clearly stated in the law.
So that there will be no last minute “smuggling” of certain people into sensitive state institutions to do the bidding of their “defeated” masters.
I hope, however, the Coalition of Civil Society Organizations will soon reply to the open letter because, for me, it contains a lot of “wisdom” meat, juices and spices for good health.
Meanwhile, the question on the lips of many people is: Why did the government wait for too long before coming out to explain properly to Ghanaians the actual issues enveloping the Kroll Associates and the Senior Minister?
G. Frank Asmah
Conflict at work is more common than you might think. According to 2022 research by The Myers-Briggs Company, more than a third of the workforce reports dealing with conflict often, very often, or all the time in the workplace. The same report found that managers spend an average of four hours per week dealing with conflict, and nearly 25 per cent of people think their managers handle conflict poorly or very poorly.
Addressing a dispute might feel tense or awkward, but resolving the conflict is typically well worth it in the long run. Whether you’re trying to mediate conflict between colleagues or are directly involved, here are seven steps you can take to manage workplace conflict.
1. Don’t put it off
Facing conflict head-on is hard. However, waiting too long to address it can negatively impact your emotional well-being, focus, and the entire office environment. If you’re feeling angry, letting that emotion fester can also escalate it over time. This can make you less responsive to other points of view and make it harder to resolve the issue.
The sooner you can address the conflict, the better it will be for you, the person you disagree with, and your entire team.
2. Learn all you can about the problem
It’s important to determine the type of conflict you’re dealing with. Begin by considering the cause of the conflict. For example, ask yourself whether someone said something that upset you or if you have emotions of anger and resentment that stemmed from something that happened.
Then try to identify if it’s a task, relationship, value, or team conflict. Once you know what type of conflict it is, you can work to resolve it with specific tactics for that situation.
If you skip this step, you may waste time or escalate the situation further by trying to address issues irrelevant to the real conflict.
3. Actively listen
Listen attentively when people share their side of the story. Active listening is one of the most valuable professional skills you can possess. This type of listening involves not only hearing what the other person is saying but also listening to understand their point of view.
No matter your role in conflict, it’s easy to begin sharing your opinion with little regard for the other people involved. However, it’s important to learn about all sides of a disagreement to make well-informed decisions before drawing conclusions.
To reach a resolution, you must step back and prioritize listening over talking. Ultimately, that will encourage the other person to do the same when it’s your turn to speak. –source: betterup.com
Today, I focus on the Temple Of Praise Ministries International (TOP Church) in Helsinki, as I continue my description of personalities or institutions and their accomplishments as members of the Ghanaian Diaspora in Finland.
The TOP Church in Finland has seen significant strides and accomplishments that must be made known to the public. 
Some history
The Church was established in Finland in September 2016. Since its inception, it has steadily grown both spiritually and numerically, by the grace of God, as disclosed to me by Mr Matthew Anini Twumasi, the Presiding Elder of TOP’s branch in Finland. The TOP Church has other branches across Africa, Europe, and America.
The Church in Finland was founded with a vision to create a welcoming and dynamic community where people could experience God’s love and grace (see, www.topchurchfinland.org). According to Presiding Elder Matthew, the TOP Church operates within a unique environment where Christianity coexists with what is seen as a largely secular society.
Despite this, he submits, there are significant opportunities for outreach, unity, and demonstrating the love of Christ through service and community engagement.
Activities
Church services at the TOP Church are typically held on Sundays for the main worship. In addition, there are mid-week prayer sessions, Saturday prayer services, and a half-night service held on the last Friday of every month. “We also organise quarterly programs”, Elder Matthew added.
His impression of the Church so far has been positive. “It is a vibrant and welcoming community where members are committed to worship, fellowship, and supporting one another in faith”, he stated.
In sum, Elder Matthew said the Church continues to grow by God’s grace. “We remain hopeful and committed to spreading the Gospel, strengthening the faith of our members, and making a positive impact in society”, he continued.
Achievements
The TOP Church has a number of achievements and achievements. Some of the strengths include strong community bonds, cultural diversity, and deep commitment to spiritual growth.
I also remember that during the COVID-19 period, I heard that the TOP Church was one such bodies that hugely supported its members and others to cope with the situation.
According to Elder Matthew, the challenges facing the church include “adapting to cultural differences, engaging the younger generation, expanding outreach in a secular society, and securing a permanent place of worship”.
Role in the Ghanaian community in Finland
The TOP Church plays a prominent role as a religious group that serves Ghanaian migrants and others in the Finnish society.
Thus, the TOP Church is a religious body for Ghanaian migrants in Finland and other nationalities who want to worship with them for diversity and better intercultural and multicultural understanding.
The Church also has mechanisms in place to support its members who are bereaved as a way to commiserate with them in times of death and funerals.
The Ghanaian community has played a vital role in the growth of the Church. Their strong sense of fellowship, dedication to worship, and active participation have helped build a solid foundation and attract others to the ministry, according to Elder Matthew.
Integration
By its activities, the TOP Church is helping to ensure integration of its members well into the Finish society.
This is important since social interaction and citizens’ well-being are an important part of the integration process.
The role of migrant associations and groups such as TOP Church acting as bridge-builders for the integration and inclusion of migrants through participation in the decision making process and by acting as a representative voice is highly appreciated in Finland. Thank you!
GHANA MATTERS column appears fortnightly. Written in simple, layman’s terms, it concentrates on matters about Ghana and beyond. It focuses on everyday life issues relating to the social, cultural, economic, religious, political, health, sports, youth, gender, etc. It strives to remind us all that Ghana comes first. The column also takes a candid look at the meanings and repercussions of our actions, especially those things we take for granted or even ignore. There are key Ghanaian values we should uphold rather than disregard with impunity. We should not overlook the obvious. We need to search for the hidden or deeply embedded values and try to project them.
With Dr Perpetual Crentsil
