Connect with us

Features

What a hardworking President! (Part 3)

Published

on

Real leaders are those who are able not just to fight for political power but make use of it in a positive manner to promote socio-economic growth and development and at the same time overcome difficulties that confront them to preserve the interest of their people which they hold and regard as paramount.

President Akufo-Addo has proved to be such a leader, and this explains that despite all the challenges during his campaign to become president, he worked hard and stayed focus to attain his ambition in life with his political career.Indeed, he is one of the greatest leaders that the country has ever produced and will go down in history as the one who, riding on the presence of former President J.A Kufuor, has made history by propelling the country into a higher standard of living.

The achievements of President Akufo-Addo in the health and agricultural sectors are there for all to see except for professional opposition members who unfortunately would not want to credit him with anything good even though his practical achievements are being enjoyed by all and sundry.

HEALTH SECTOR

Advertisement

Every constituency has been given at least one ambulance vehicle and some hospitals to improve health care delivery. In all, 350 brand-new well-equipped ambulances with well-trained personnel have been provided for the districts and hospitals throughout the country. Again, drones have also been brought in to help in the distribution of essential drugs to all parts of the country to ensure that no one is left out in health care if only people are able to act early enough to save lives in our hospitals.

Also, the government’s programme, Agenda 111, under which many hospitals are to be built at the regions and the districts are also being rolled out. The purpose is to ensure that each region has its own full-fledged hospital as well as ones for the districts. In addition to all these, some hospital beds have been distributed to many of our health facilities. This is noble and deserve the blessings of God.

COVID-19 PANDEMIC

Government’s fight against the COVID-19 pandemic was also remarkably impressive. In March 2020, when the disease was first reported in Ghana, the government took immediate steps to ensure that its people became protected. Electricity and drinking water were provided free of charge to Ghanaians. The free water helped the people to regularly wash their hands in line with what the government wanted them to do. The electricity provided free of charge also helped the people to iron all dresses before wearing them since there was the need to ensure that everything, including dresses, was well sanitised before use.

Advertisement

Government is fighting hard to ensure that the COVID-19 vaccines are also produced locally. Prof.Kwabena Frimpong-Boateng has submitted a report with his committee to government on how to go about it.

PREVENTING BANKING CRISIS

To speed up national economic development, certain steps were taken for rapid economic growth as a way of improving upon the welfare of the people. Once such step was a strategy to overcome a looming banking crisis in the country. Many of the banks operating under the previous government, that is, the NDC did not have the required level capital to operate as expected. What had happened in other countries such as Lebanon and others could have also occurred here because the banks with capital below the required levels would have not been able to satisfy their customers’ withdrawals.

To resolve the issue, the Akufo-Addo administration withdrew the licences of such banks and reorganised the banking sector. Those banks that were too small to operate on their own were joined together to operate as one entity as can be seen in the example of Consolidated Bank of Ghana (CBG) which is now doing very well.

Advertisement

The confidence required in the banking sector has risen high and all these are helping the economy to boost up at a faster rate. This, together with other policies, account for the reason Ghana is ranked among the fastest growing economy in Africa and the world. Another achievement related to this is the relative stability of the Cedi. Matters would have been worse if government had not taken these steps to rectify the situation.

FASTEST INTERNET SPEED IN AFRICA

Another issue related to smooth economic growth is the fact that Ghana had been rated as the country with the fastest internet speed in Africa. According to a Speedtest Global Index for the top 10 fixed broadband categories in the first quarter of 2021, South Africa, Madagascar, Egypt, Senegal, Seychelles, Morocco, Congo, and Burkina Faso were ranked behind Ghana. Additionally, Ghana was ranked 79th in the world for the Speedtest Global Index with the speed of 53.28 Mbps, which was the fastest in Africa. This has helped in a way for the economy to develop at a faster rate because modern economies are linked to a fast-speed internet system.

CONSTRUCTION OF MORE ROADS

Advertisement

The Year of Roads, declared in 2020, is still being continued for 2021. The good news about the Year of Roads, including that of this year is that asphalt overlay is in progress for Accra roads and regional capitals. This means that major cities to enjoy the overlays would include as has been pointed out, Accra, Kumasi, Takoradi, Sunyani and Bolgatanga, among others.

Alongside this is the construction of interchange networks in various parts of the country such as Pokuase, Obetsebi Lamptey Interchange, Takoradi, Kumasi and Tamale. Therefore, the country has been uplifted in a pleasant manner as far as road infrastructure is concerned. If this does not constitute a good mark of good governance and economic growth, then what else can it be?

FIGHTING AGAINST CORRUPTION

The government is fighting hard against corruption. A new Special Prosecutor has been appointed to make corruption as unattractive as possible. He has begun to work in an assiduous manner and very soon the country and the world would begin to see the positive results that come out of his endeavour.

Advertisement

Conscious effort is also being made to guarantee peace and security in the country. In fact, Ghana today has been ranked the first most peaceful country in West Africa and remains the second most peaceful country in the whole of Africa. It is this credential of being a peaceful country that attracted the AfCFTA secretariat into the country. It is the same reason that President Akufo-Addo has been chosen as ECOWAS chairman for two consecutive terms.

IGNORING PROPAGANDA

Many Ghanaians are complaining about facilities they lack in their communities such as good drinking water, electricity, telecommunication facilities, clinics, or hospitals etc. These are being provided in a systematic manner so as much as we want people to draw the attention of government to their community needs, they should also bear in mind that this is a government that is committed towards the good of the people and that if we don’t allow it to complete its project successfully, we may all live to regret later. For this reason, no one should be influenced by any form of propaganda to turn his/her back against the government.

President Akufo-Addo appears tireless in his desire to fix the problems of this country looking at how energetic he is as if he is only forty (40) in age. This is what the Akufo-Addo administration has planned for this country, so do we support him or not?

Advertisement

The answer is not far-fetched and that means that we all need to support him no matter what!

Contact email/whatsApp of author:

Pradmat2013@gmail.com (0553318911)

Advertisement
Continue Reading
Advertisement

Features

Traditional values an option for anti-corruption drive — (Part 1)

Published

on

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.

Advertisement

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.

Advertisement

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.

Advertisement

NB: ‘CHANGE KOTOKA INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT TO KOFI BAAKO

By Laud Kissi-Mensah

Join our WhatsApp Channel now!
https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VbBElzjInlqHhl1aTU27

Advertisement
Continue Reading

Features

Emotional distortions:A lethal threat to mental health

Published

on

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:

Advertisement

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

Advertisement

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.

Advertisement

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

Advertisement
Continue Reading
Advertisement

Trending