Features
Finland and investment partners in Ghana/Africa
The delegation that led the peace talks
Ghana and other African countries are fast becoming top priorities for Finland in the area of development cooperation, business and investment.
Two weeks ago, the Government of Finland and the Government of Ghana signed an agreement on projects to be funded under Finland’s Public Sector Investment Facility (PIF) Scheme, on the margins of a trade and investment mission to Finland.
The PIF Scheme is a Finnish financing instrument designed to support public sector investments in developing countries in line with the UN Sustainable Development Goals, utilising Finnish technology and expertise.
Both Ghana and Finland already cooperate in many areas, and increasing and strengthening the areas of cooperation has come to the top of the agenda in recent years.
Business forums
For some weeks now, there have also been some business or trade and investment forums in Helsinki.
The signing of the PIF Scheme agreement was followed the next day by the Ghana-Finland business forum where some Ghanaian and Finnish companies shared experiences and explored possibilities for partnerships.
The Finnish Ministry has been encouraging Finnish companies to look for opportunities in Ghana.
There are many areas for possible partnership in business and investment in Ghana, including solar power, waste management and waste or renewable energy, health, environment, education, and ICT (Information and Communication Technology), especially ICTs for girls’ education.
The Finnish Foreign Ministry, through Finnpartnership, has been connecting Finnish companies to their Ghanaian counterparts.
Finnpartnership promotes business activities and partnerships with the aim of generating positive development impacts in the target country (see www.finnpartnership.fi).
Another meeting, the Sierra Leone/Finnish Investment Forum, takes place next week, 11-12 October 2022, in Helsinki.It is aimed at promoting investment opportunities for stakeholders.
Finland’s Africa strategy
All these indicate Finland’s commitment to strengthen ties with African countries through trade and investment strategies.
Last year, Finland drew up an African strategy in order to promote Finland’s ties with African countries.
The strategy, “Finland’s Africa Strategy—Towards stronger political and economic partnership”, was approved by the Finnish Government in March 2021.
The strategy is to be used to diversify and deepen Finland’s relations with African countries, the African Union and regional organisations, with a focus on political and economic relations (see https://um.fi/about-finland-s-africa-strategy).
Partnerships for Finnish and Ghanaian companies
There seem to be many possibilities for partnerships between Ghanaian and Finnish companies.
While trade between Finland and Ghana remains relatively modest, there is growing interest among Finnish companies towards investing in Ghana, such as in solar power or turning waste material into energy.
I think many Ghanaian companies are also looking for Finnish counterparts for investment efforts in Ghana.
The ball is now in the court of all stakeholders, including Ghanaian diaspora companies in Finland, Finnish companies and companies in Ghana, to seek one another.
Thank you.
By Perpetual Crentsil
One of the issues we have been grappling with as a nation is corruption, and it has had such a devastating effect on our national development. I have been convinced that until morality becomes the foundation upon which our governance system is built, we can never go forward as a nation.
Our traditional practices, which have shaped our cultural beliefs, have always espoused values that have kept us along the straight and the narrow and have preserved our societies since ancient times.
These are values that frown on negative habits like stealing, cheating, greediness, selfishness, etc. Our grandparents have told us stories of societies where stealing was regarded as so shameful that offenders, when caught, have on a number of instances committed suicide.
In fact, my mother told me of a story where a man who was living in the same village as her mother (my grandmother), after having been caught stealing a neighbour’s cockerel, out of shame committed suicide on a mango tree. Those were the days that shameful acts were an abomination.
Tegare worship, a traditional spiritual worship during which the spirit possesses the Tegare Priest and begins to reveal secrets, was one of the means by which the society upheld African values in the days of my grandmother and the early childhood days of my mother.
Those were the days when the fear of being killed by Tegare prevented people from engaging in anti-social vices. These days, people sleeping with other people’s wives are not uncommon.
These wrongful behaviour was not countenanced at all by Tegare. One was likely going to lose his life on days that Tegare operates, and so unhealthy habits like coveting your neighbour’s wife was a taboo.
Stealing of other people’s farm produce, for instance, could mean certain death or incapacitation of the whole or part of the body in the full glare of everybody. People realised that there were consequences for wrongdoing, and this went a long way to motivate the society to adhere to right values.
Imagine a President being sworn into office and whoever administers the oath says, “Please say this after me: I, Mr. …., do solemnly swear by God, the spirits of my ancestors and the spirits ruling in Ghana, that should I engage in corrupt acts, may I and my family become crippled, may madness become entrenched in my family, may incurable sicknesses and diseases be my portion and that of my family, both immediate and extended.”
Can you imagine a situation where a few weeks afterwards the President goes to engage in corrupt acts and we hear of his sudden demise or incapacitation and confessing that he engaged in corrupt acts before passing or before the incapacitation—and the effect it will have on his successor? I believe we have to critically examine this option to curb corruption.
My grandmother gave me an eyewitness account of one such encounter where a woman died instantly after the Tegare Priest had revealed a wrong attitude she had displayed during the performance on one of the days scheduled for Tegare spirit manifestation.
According to her story, the Priest, after he had been possessed by the spirit, declared that for what the woman had done, he would not forgive her and that he would kill. Instantly, according to my grandmother, the lady fell down suddenly and she died—just like what happened to Ananias and his wife Sapphira in Acts Chapter 5.
NB: ‘CHANGE KOTOKA INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT TO KOFI BAAKO
By Laud Kissi-Mensah
Join our WhatsApp Channel now!
https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VbBElzjInlqHhl1aTU27
Emotional distortions can indeed have a profound impact on an individual’s mental health and well-being. These distortions can lead to a range of negative consequences, including anxiety, depression, and impaired relationships.
Emotional surgery is a therapeutic approach that aims to address and heal emotional wounds, traumas, and blockages. This approach recognises that emotional pain can have a profound impact on an individual’s quality of life and seeks to provide a comprehensive and compassionate approach to healing.
How emotional surgery can help
Emotional surgery can help individuals:
Identify and challenge negative thought patterns: By becoming aware of emotional distortions, individuals can learn to challenge and reframe negative thoughts.
Develop greater emotional resilience: Emotional surgery can help individuals develop the skills and strategies needed to manage their emotions and respond to challenging situations.
Improve relationships: By addressing emotional wounds and promoting emotional well-being, individuals can develop more positive and healthy relationships with others.
The benefits of emotional surgery
The benefits of emotional surgery can include:
Improved mental health outcomes: Emotional surgery can help individuals reduce symptoms of anxiety and depression.
Enhanced relationships: Emotional surgery can help individuals develop more positive and healthy relationships with others.
Increased self-awareness: Emotional surgery can help individuals develop a deeper understanding of themselves and their emotions.
A path towards healing
Emotional surgery offers a promising approach to addressing emotional distortions and promoting emotional well-being. By acknowledging the impact of emotional pain and seeking to provide a comprehensive and compassionate approach to healing, individuals can take the first step towards recovery and improved mental health.
Join our WhatsApp Channel now!
https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VbBElzjInlqHhl1aTU27
BY ROBERT EKOW GRIMMOND-THOMPSON
