Features
Routine maintenance and reliable power supply

One major problem in this country is lack of proper maintenance culture which goes to adversely affect the lifespan of facilities built across the country.
Many a time, facilities such as water systems, electricity systems, buildings, roads and many other facilities are not given proper maintenance, a situation which leads to a decrease in the lifespan of such projects.
MAINTENANCE OF FACILITIES
Indeed, if all facilities are given proper maintenance, it will go a long way to ensure that these facilities enjoy a long span of life instead of seeing them getting deteriorated within a short time. Maintenance culture is what we need to increase productivity in the sense that the few facilities available and established in various parts of the country maximise their efforts in terms of durability and positive contribution to socioeconomic development.
When facilities are maintained regularly, it helps to ensure that they last for a long time and help productivity in all sectors to be facilitated to increase to the highest level.
Currently, we have been told that the Electricity Company of Ghana and GRIDCO are carrying out maintenance on certain power facilities in various parts of the country. For this reason, certain transformers are being expanded and replaced so that the quality of power supply will be enhanced.
POWER OFFS
It is very irritating when we experience power offs in our areas of residence due to unreliable power supply and lack of maintenance. For this reason, we need to regularly carry out maintenance of these facilities so that power supply to various homes, offices and factories can flow uninterrupted and thereby make power supply very reliable and satisfactory. When this happens, power consumers in the country will be very happy because the quality of supply will be dependable and good.
It is in light of this that the ongoing maintenance of power facilities across the country must be commended by all those who understand the importance of quality and reliable power supply. Needless to say, properly maintained systems offer continuous flow of power even when it is raining. In many parts of the country, even when light rains are experienced, power supply becomes interrupted and sometimes goes off unexpectedly. On the contrary, under a properly maintained culture, it will be seen that the lighting systems will continue to stay as they are even when the rains set in.
It is, therefore, good that GRIDCO, ECG and others have found it necessary to maintain their facilities from time to time beginning from this time so that the power supply can be stabilised. Without constant maintenance, a reliable power supply cannot be guaranteed and as a result the quality of power supply will be disappointing to consumers who deserve to be given better treatment.
ONGOING EXERCISE
The ongoing exercise is good but should not be a nine day wonder. If it becomes a nine day wonder, the end result will be very disappointing to the dissatisfaction of all residents in this country.
It is, therefore, good that power supply systems are being maintained and where necessary old gadgets are replaced from time to time.
The ongoing maintenance is creating some problems in certain parts of the country. In certain places around Kumasi, Accra, the Central Region and many other parts, the power goes off from time to time due to the ongoing exercise of maintenance.
STABLE POWER
These are good in so far as they help to strengthen the system and make power supply more enduring and reliable.
In light of all this, we prefer regular maintenance culture of our power supply systems to the complete absence of maintenance which makes the facilities deteriorate at a faster rate. When the facilities are maintained regularly, they are able to perform better and last for a long time. All these result in quality and satisfactory customer service to the admiration of people in the country.
COMMENDATION
The management and staff of the power supply systems must be commended and appreciated seeing that the occasional power offs will be a thing of the past, thereby resulting in quality power supplies which will help promote rapid socioeconomic development in the country.
This is what is needed and so must be encouraged and supported by all well meaning Ghanaians.
PHENOMENON OF RISING PRICES
The world today is going through difficult economic and financial situation making it very difficult for all countries to control inflation and make life bearable for their people.
Prices have been rising persistently in all countries to such an extent that consumers are protesting at this unbearable development. Many governments have found it very difficult to appeal to their people to understand the situation. It has become very difficult for people to accept the situation because their incomes are fixed and remained the same while prices of goods and services keep escalating to unbearable levels.
RECORD- HIGH INFLATION
Throughout the world, inflation has hit its highest levels in recent times so the situation is not as pleasant as one may think. This can lead to political upheavals, disorder and insecurity in many countries. When things are difficult in this way with prices rising and rising, the end result will be the development of disaffection for the government in power.
The government in power must, therefore, be able to explain itself to its citizens in order to calm them down.
If this is not done, the disaffection may create chaotic situations which may end up worsening the plight of people in the country concerned.
UNFAVOURABLE SITUATION
It is for this reason that people must see the current era as an unfavourable situation that must be borne by everyone no matter how unpleasant the situation may be.
The current unfavourable economic trends have come about because of the outbreak of the COVID-19 which adversely affected all productive systems in the world. As a result of COVID-19, goods and services could not be produced in their desired quantities. This led to the shortage of certain goods in the market. The situation has been made worse by the sudden Russia-Ukraine conflict. Many strategic goods come from these two countries that are fighting each other. Items like fertiliser, raw materials for cement and many things are not able to come in the quantities expected thereby creating shortages in many parts of the world.
The two countries (that is Russia and Ukraine) control close to a third of the supply of crude oil in the world. As a result, oil prices have been pushed up far above the $100 mark.
SANCTIONS
The US and other western countries have applied certain sanctions against Russia to force that country to stop its invasion of Ukraine. These and many others have forced the oil prices to come down a little even though it is still above the $100 mark.
The prices of crude oil have fallen slightly but many countries are still suffering from the harsh effect of the rapid rise of goods and services throughout the world.
The high rise of oil prices has adversely affected other prices of goods and services pushing the world to a situation which has become very unbearable. As a result, many motorists for example, are not able to fill their tanks due to the escalating prices of crude oil.
HIGH FUEL PRICES
In the United States for example, we heard of stories where some motorists had to drive all the way to the US border with Mexico to fill the tanks of their vehicles since fuel price around that area is relatively cheaper.
Thus, in all the different continents in the world, life has become unpleasant. Indeed, many developing countries are suffering more from the rising prices in the world.
INFLATIONARY TRENDS
As has been pointed out already, inflationary trends in various parts of the world have reached their record high. In Ghana, the Ghana Statistical Service (GSS) has stated that inflation has reached 19.4 per cent. This is the highest ever recorded in Ghana over the past five or six years and it goes to show that even with the good management of the economy, inflationary trends have jumped high to a level that is not good for economic growth.
In spite of this, every effort is being made by government to come out with the best economic reforms for its people so that life can be made better for them.
UNPLEASANT DEVELOPMENTS
As a result of such unpleasant developments, the World Bank has revised the global economic growth rates. Previously, following COVID-19, the World Bank stated that global economic growth would be about 4.5 per cent and countries in the world thought that even though the figure was not good enough, it could be accepted as satisfactory so that from there, the world can grow at a higher level.
In view of the Russia-Ukraine war, economic situations have been worsened once again making economic growth and recovery more difficult. As a result, the World Bank has now revised the global economic growth rate from its previous more than four per cent to 3.1 per cent.
TOUGH ECONOMIC TIMES
As has been stated, the world today is experiencing tough economic times so governments that are doing well must be warmly supported by its people so that things will not be thrown out of gear for any political expediency on the path of any groups of people whose only agenda is to satisfy their own selfish and myopic interests.
Contact email/whatsApp address of author:
Pradmat2013@gmail.com (0553318911)
By Dr Kofi Amponsah-Bediako
Features
Ghana becoming a developed nation — Part 4
Having initiated programs to ensure a foundation of morality, the next step is to have a picture of what success looks like. I keep saying that if you do not have a destination in mind when travelling, you can never arrive.
We therefore as a people, need to set up a development plan which all parties shall ascribe to so that no matter which party is in government, the execution of the plan will not be derailed.
This is the only way that we can make a headway in our developmental agenda. Once we have a plan we are following, it becomes a guiding tool to arrive at the destination we have set for ourselves. It becomes a project that given the necessary key milestones, will help us in monitoring progress.
The next step is to focus on pillars of development i.e. education, health, agriculture and the economy.
The common characteristic of developed countries is the level of education of its citizens.
A highly educated population provides readily available human resource for industrial growth.
A highly qualified population has the potential to innovate, creating value added products for export.
A healthy population is necessary for development. Proactive measures that can prevent epidemics for instance, must be put in place to ensure a healthy populace.
This would require a deliberate investment in health infrastructure as well as training of professionals in the health sector.
Food must be available and must also be affordable and there policies that can ensure the achievement of this objective must be vigorously pursued.
Agro-processing must be prioritised if not completely eliminate post harvest losses and also provide goods for export as part of the effort to stabilize currency.
The power of a nation depends largely on its economic growth. The reason why countries like the US and China wield a lot of influence in the world is because of their wealth.
The way out of poverty as a country, is to industrialise. We need to focus on deliberate effort to promote indigenous control over our natural resources so as to reduce repatriation of huge foreign currency out of the country.
Such initiatives will provide or make available funds for entrepreneurs to access for industrialisation. If we do not prioritise industrialisation, we will permanently not enjoy real independence as a nation because we will have to depend on them to assist in funds for our budget deficit.
Whoever controls how you run your budget literary controls you and therefore the countries who provide budgetary support, controls us. We need to get out of this situation so we can be truly.
The industrialisation cannot be established without companying infrastructure and therefore infrastructure development must be taken seriously into account.
Local expertise must be sought in the infrastructural development. The use of local expertise will help create jobs for the teeming youth the universities churn out every year.
I hope to complete this series next weekend. God bless.
NB: ‘CHANGE KOTOKA INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT TO KOFI BAAKO INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT’
Join our WhatsApp Channel now!
https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VbBElzjInlqHhl1aTU27
Features
The impact of emotionalsurgery and emotional elysiumon presidential performance
AS the world becomes increasingly complex, the role of a president has become more demanding than ever.
The pressure to make life-altering decisions, manage crises, and maintain a sense of calm and composure can take a toll on a president’s mental health.
In recent years, innovative approaches like emotional surgery and emotional elysium have gained attention for their potential to support leaders in managing stress and promoting emotional well-being.
Understanding emotional surgery
Emotional surgery is a groundbreaking approach that utilises art to promote relaxation and reduce stress.
This technique involves the use of colors, geometric shapes, and abstract objects to communicate with the brain and induce a state of calmness.
By leveraging the brain’s ability to process visual information, emotional surgery can help individuals manage anxiety and stress, promoting a sense of calmness and well-being.
The benefits of emotional elysium
Emotional elysium refers to practices that promote emotional well-being and resilience.
This approach focuses on cultivating positive emotions such as gratitude, compassion, and love, to improve overall well-being.
For presidents, emotional elysium can be particularly beneficial in managing the stresses of office and promoting emotional balance.
By incorporating emotional elysium practices into their daily routine, presidents can improve their emotional regulation, increase their resilience, and enhance their overall well-being.
The impact on presidential performance
Both emotional surgery and emotional elysium have the potential to significantly impact a president’s performance.
By managing stress and promoting emotional well-being, presidents can:
- Improve decision-making: Emotional surgery and emotional elysium help presidents make more informed, rational decisions, rather than reacting impulsively to stress or emotions.
- Enhance leadership: Leaders who prioritise emotional well-being are better equipped to build strong relationships with their team and the public.
- Increase resilience: Emotional elysium practices, such as mindfulness and meditation, build resilience, enabling presidents to cope better with challenges and setbacks.
Prof. Agyeman Badu Akosa’s endorsement
Prof. Agyeman Badu Akosa, a respected figure in the medical field, has endorsed emotional surgery as a valuable tool for promoting relaxation and reducing stress.
According to him, emotional surgery can reduce anxiety, improve emotional regulation, and enhance overall well-being.
Conclusion
In conclusion, emotional surgery and emotional elysium are two innovative approaches that have the potential to significantly impact a president’s performance.
By prioritising emotional well-being and exploring these approaches, presidents can improve decision-making, enhance leadership, and increase resilience.
As global challenges become more complex, it is essential for presidents to safeguard their mental health — and these techniques offer a promising solution.
Recommendations
- Presidents should prioritise their emotional well-being: Recognising the importance of emotional balance allows leaders to manage stress effectively.
- Emotional surgery and emotional elysium should be considered: These approaches may offer promising solutions for high-end executives whose emotional well-being affects their performance.
By embracing emotional well-being and exploring innovative interventions, presidents can optimise performance, build stronger relationships, and promote overall well-being.
Join our WhatsApp Channel now!
https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VbBElzjInlqHhl1aTU27



