Features
Who speaks for the millions of vulnerable Ghanaians?
The founding fathers of this beautiful country called Ghana, who fought for our independence from the British colonial administration in 1957, will by now be turning in their graves and asking about what is happening to a nation which they fought with their sweat and toils to free the people from their oppressors.
Osagyefo Dr. Kwame Nkrumah of blessed memory, first President of Ghana and others who spearheaded this country and positioned it on the international arena, would be disappointed about the economic mess that this country has been plunged into by our current leaders.
Operations of Parliament
Law making is considered to be the most important function of Parliament. Under Article 93 (2) of the 1992 Constitution, the legislative power of Ghana has been vested in Parliament and exercised in accordance with the 1992 Constitution.
Nobody other than Parliament has the power to pass any measure with the force of law except by or under the authority conferred by an Act of Parliament. The legislative function of Parliament consists of passing bills and scrutinizing statutory instruments and deciding whether to annul them or allow them to take effect by the effluxion of time. Besides, Chapter 13 of the 1992 Constitution variously vests the control of public funds (power of public purse) in Parliament.
Mouthpiece of the Electorate
In effect, Parliament is therefore an important institution in the democratic practice of our country and, therefore held in high esteem by the people. Whatever emanates from Parliament is considered as an important weapon to the administration of this country.
It is therefore, a sacred institution which must be protected and safeguarded by the players of this noble institution who are the parliamentarians. They are the people representatives and, therefore represent the interests and welfare of the people in the august house.
Strictly speaking, the parliamentarians, noted as MPs, represent the views and mouthpiece of the people in their constituencies to approve and oversee the revenues and expenditures proposed by government aside any other functions.
Walkouts in Parliament
The over 30 million Ghanaian population cannot be in Parliament at the same time and that is the reason why the 1992 Constitution has prescribed a limited number of 275 parliamentarians to the house to represent their constituencies and to participate in all matters and issues relating to the welfare of their constituencies as well as matters that affect their constituents.
It therefore, presupposes that since the MPs were elected by the people to represent their interests, it will be absolutely wrong and suicidal for them to behave in such a selfish manner when it comes to parliamentary proceedings such as debates and approval of bills among other functions in the house.
Staging walkouts in the midst of parliamentary sittings, are sometimes normal practices in parliament all over the world. It indicates a way of registering a protest and that is accepted in most parliaments across the globe. However, when this is overdone in such a way to affect the lives of the people who put them there, it becomes a huge problem to contain.
Ghanaians Patience Growing Pale
This country is evolving and therefore, the majority of the people are now discerning. The poor management of the economy by people appointed by the government to see to the growth of the economy which has brought about severe hardships among the people, has indeed, served as an eye-opener to the millions of Ghanaians since they cannot make ends meet.
They have therefore, resolved that they would never sit unconcerned and allow the economy to be downgraded in the midst of the vast economic resources at our disposal. They are therefore, drumming home to their representatives in Parliament to do the needful by holding government, especially its appointees, accountable to the economic mismanagement of the country. They are demanding that the non-performing ministers whose inefficiencies have led to the downturn of the economy must be shown the exit without further delay.
General Frustration Among The People
The general frustration among the citizenry has emboldened, toughened the people and energized them to voice out their sentiments freely without fear or favour on social media platforms. They do not care about emerging consequences whatsoever.
Even the little JHS students are abreast of the current economic downturn and are complaining. The hopes of Ghanaians are shattered and the question they keep asking is, who speaks for the millions of the vulnerable in the society?” Some of our parliamentarians are turning the august house into a charade, making it to appear different from what it is supposed to be and that is most unfortunate.
Recent Drama in Parliament
The recent walkout staged by the Majority MPs when it came to the vote of censure against the Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta, spoke volumes of how some of our parliamentarians are not showing any seriousness in the business of the house.
Many Ghanaians including MPs from the Majority side had hitherto, condemned the abysmal performance of the Finance Minister and had called on the President to relieve him of his post. The Majority Caucus led by its leader, Osei-Kyei Mensah Bonsu, had met the President on this particular issue who pleaded with them to allow the Finance Minister to conclude the on-going negotiations with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) after which a firm decision would be taken on the matter.
The Speaker of Parliament constituted a committee to go into the allegations levelled against the Minister, after which a report was presented to the full house which was debated upon by both the Majority and Minority caucuses.
The Finance Minister was allowed to defend himself through his lawyers at both the committee meeting and also the floor of the house. It therefore, sounded strange when the minority walked out during a secret voting on the case.
Ghanaians Feeling Short-Changed
This is where most Ghanaians are feeling that, they are being short-changed by our parliamentarians by not calling a spade a spade. On the surface, you see the MPs disagreeing when it comes to debates on issues, but when there is the need to take decision on behalf of their constituents, you find them wanting.
The Finance Minister should by now know that he has lost confidence in the majority of the people including those from his own party. The problems of this country have indeed overwhelmed him and his economic management team and, therefore he should pack his bag and baggage and leave honourably.
Exactly as the Editor of ABC News Gordon Asare-Bediako pointed out recently on social media, “this matter should not have come to this level because for 98 Members of Parliament to write and publicly declare that they don’t want you any longer as Finance Minister, he should advise himself”. According to this writer, Mr. Ofori-Atta had allowed himself to be subjected to public ridicule.
President Must Do The Needful
Once there is a clarion call by the majority of Ghanaians to the President to reshuffle his ministers, it behoves on him to listen to the voices of the people and take action as early as possible. His adamant posturing, is not in the best interest of his party, the New Patriotic Party (NPP) in the way forward to the next election.
Once Parliament has concluded its assignment on the budget, the President should take an advantage to prune down the size of government, reshuffle some of his ministers and retire his Finance Minister honourably.
The President should take an advantage of the resignation of his Trade and Industry Minister, Allan Kojo Kyerematen and the Agriculture Minister, Dr. Owusu Afriyie Akoto, who have all resigned from his government to contest for the flagbearership position of the NPP in the next general election in 2024 to reshuffle his ministers in order to introduce vibrancy in his administration.
It was Ghanaians who gave the President the mandate to govern this country and, therefore they have every right to make suggestions as to how this country should be governed. It should not be a one-man show.
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By Charles Neequaye
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.
Addressing a dispute might feel tense or awkward, but resolving the conflict is typically well worth it in the long run. Whether you are trying to mediate conflict between colleagues or are directly involved. Last week we looked at three and this week is the remaining four steps you can take to manage workplace conflict.
4. Find common ground
The best way to handle workplace conflict is to start with what you can agree on. Find common ground between the people engaging in conflict. If you are directly involved in the conflict, slow down and focus on results instead of who’s right.
If you are the mediator for conflict resolution between coworkers, observe the discussion and help point out the common ground others may not see.
5. Collectively brainstorm solutions
When deciding how to handle workplace conflict, it can be tempting to problem-solve on your own. Sometimes, it feels easier to work independently rather than collaboratively. However, if you want to achieve a lasting resolution, you will need to motivate your team to get involved.
Brainstorm possible solutions together, and solicit input from everyone involved on the pros and cons of each option until you settle on a solution that feels comfortable to everyone. This will help all team members feel a sense of ownership that can help prevent future conflicts.
6. Create an action plan
Once you have created an open dialogue around workplace conflicts, it is time to resolve them. Just like any other work goal, this requires creating a concrete plan and following through.
Create an action plan and then act on it. It does not matter what the plan is, as long as you commit to it and resolve the conflict as a result.
7. Reflect on what you learned
All conflicts offer an opportunity to grow and become a better communicator. Identify what went well and what did not.
Work with your whole team to gather learnings from the conflict so you can avoid similar situations in the future.
Today, I continue with my narration of personalities and their accomplishments as members of the Ghanaian Diaspora in Finland, with a focus on Mr Joseph Osei Amoah.
Mr Amoah is one of the senior members of the Ghanaian community in Finland and a top member of the Ghana Union Finland, an association of the Ghanaian migrant community in Finland.
He is an active and a well-respected person in the Ghanaian community in Finland. Mr Osei Amoah moved to Finland in the mid-1990s, and he has lived in Helsinki all this time.
Accomplishments and honours
It is important to recount accomplishments as part of the success stories of the personalities of Ghanaian descent in Finland in order to highlight their exploits both within the Ghanaian migrant community and in the wider Finnish society.
Mr Amoah holds a Master’s degree in Demography from the University of Helsinki. At the time he came to Finland in 1994, he had majored in Economics at the Bachelor’s level at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST).
Sometimes affectionately called “Chairman” in the Ghanaian migrant community, Mr Osei is a former Chairman of the New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) branch in Finland, assuming office around 2015, a few months after the branch was formed, until 2019 when he did not run again for the elections. He helped to bring vibrancy into the NPP Finland branch.
Religious life
Mr Amoah is a prominent member of the Global Methodist Church in Finland. In spite of his busy working life and other responsibilities, he remains a committed member of the Global Methodist Church in Finland.
He plays a key leadership role in the church, which is attended by many Ghanaian migrants and other African migrants, Finns, and those of other nationalities.
His position in Asanteman Finland
Mr Osei Amoah is an outstanding member of the Asanteman Finland, where he is the Gyasehene, a prominent position as a sub-chief in the Asante (and Akan) royal hierarchy, in the functioning of the traditional authority systemgenerally in Ghana.
The Asanteman Finland is an association formed purposely with the aim of supporting each other as well as to ensure unity among its members and others outside of the group.
One of its top priorities of Asanteman Finland is to display the Asante culture in Finland. Mr Osei Amoah finds this as very important since by upholding the traditional culture and heritage, the association enables its members and especially the young ones to get the chance to learn and appreciate Asante and Ghanaian cultural values. They do this through rites such as marriage, the naming ceremony, and death and funeral rites, which makes the people to learn more of their provenance and not forget their origins.
“My point is that, by displaying the traditional heritage it helps people to learn more about their provenance. For, I think it will be embarrassing to go home and see that even the young ones have much knowledge about how to perform certain rites whilst those of us in the diaspora may be deficient in understanding those practices”, he argued. It is also very important for the young ones who are born in Finland to learn what the culture of their original society is, he continued.
The Finnish educational system
Mr Osei has a lot to say about the Finnish educational system, which he sees as very good. “When we came to Finland, education was free. There were library books and manuscripts readily available in the library, and one could print or make as many photocopies as possible for your studies. There was more flexibility. One could read books and write exams on them for the necessary grades in order to complete your studies”. In his opinion, Ghana could learn much from the Finnish system, which is one of the best in the world.
He said the only initial challenge he found in Finland was how to master the Finnish language, without which it was difficult to get a job befitting one’s status after the studies. But things have changed today and there are many English courses so it is easy to study and get a job that matches your studies, especially in the area of ICT, he said.
His role in the Ghanaian community
Mr Osei Amoah has been very active in the Ghanaian community, as I have indicated earlier. He is still very active in the Ghana Union Finland, and has played a leadership in many functions organised by the Union, as a non-governmental organisation for the Ghanaian migrant community in Finland.
Mr Amoah has been a counsellor and mentor who has guided many young Ghanaian migrants on their career paths and has also been part in settling various kinds of conflicts between opposing parties or persons. In conclusion, I would say Mr Osei Amoah has succeeded in embossing his name in the golden pages of visionary Ghanaians in both Sweden and Finland.
With Dr Perpetual Crentsil
