THE MOST POWERFUL PEOPLE IN GHANA

 

THE MOST POWERFUL PEOPLE IN GHANA

There is an evil I have seen under the sun, as an error proceeding from the ruler…I have seen servants on horses, while princes walk on the ground like servants-Ecclesiastes 10: 5,7 

Sovereignty as a concept denotes supreme power or authority.[1] A sovereign is a person who exercises power without limitation.[2] God, for instance, is the supreme sovereign because of His authority and control over all things in heaven and on earth. He has nonetheless given the dominion mandate of this earth to humankind.[3] The people of this earth are indeed very powerful and ought to recognize the power they wield. This paper seeks to expose ordinary Ghanaians to the great power God has given to them over the nation Ghana.

The sovereignty of Ghana resides in the people of Ghana.[4] Consequently, the 1992 Constitution requires that powers of government be exercised judiciously and in a manner that promotes the welfare of Ghanaians.[5] This means that the only powers that have been given to the government under the Constitution are the ones that further public interest and welfare.  Although the President, Vice-President, the Speaker of Parliament and the Chief Justice take precedence over all other persons in Ghana,[6] it is argued that the foregoing ranking of leadership according to the 1992 Constitution of Ghana does not mean that any of the stated offices or leaders are more important or powerful than the ordinary Ghanaian citizen. The stated leaders are agents of the people who voted them into power. They have been given the political mandate to represent the interests of Ghanaians, not their personal interests nor that of their political affiliations.

Over the years, there has been a growing perception that Ghanaians are only powerful during an election-year because they have the authority to elect, retain or unseat governments. The sovereignty of Ghanaians, however, does not solely begin and end with voting. Voting is much more than a means through which citizens elect their representatives in a democratic society. It is also analogous to a principal-agent relationship. A principal-agent relationship is a fiduciary relationship by which an entity legally appoints another to act on its behalf.[7] This relationship is based on the understanding that the agent will follow the principal’s instructions and not take personal advantage of the position he has been given to the detriment of the principal’s interests. Besides, an agent’s actions are binding on the principal. Consequently, when the Ghanaian electorate vote a particular political party into office, they become equally responsible for the actions and inactions of the government and elected officials since these leaders now act as their agents. This explains why we should not vote for the sake of voting; we must vote based on a reasoned decision and trust. Why should you vote for a person you do not trust? Remember whoever you vote for is a reflection of how you think, and you are what you think.[8] It is only the unwise who employs a dishonest manager over his business and expects that business to flourish.

A servant is not greater than his master. It is ironic that some Ghanaian leaders who are agents of Ghanaians seem to be more powerful than those who elected them into office. This unfortunate phenomenon is partly due to the wealth or privileges some so-called political leaders tend to ‘amass’ or enjoy during their tenure. In 2016, the approved monthly salaries for a Member of Parliament, the Speaker of Parliament and President of the Republic were GH¢19,430, GH¢24,287 and GH¢30,359 respectively.[9] Interestingly, the least paid public sector worker on the Single Spine earned a monthly salary of GH¢207.90 that same year.[10] This translates into only one percent of what that worker’s agent, a Member of Parliament, received. The recommendations of the Ewurama Addy Committee on the topical issue of ex-gratia were rejected in 2016. This implies that qualified Article 71 office holders such as the President, Vice-President, Speaker of Parliament and Members of Parliament take home four-month salary for each of the years that they have been in office as ex-gratia[11] despite other privileges these leaders enjoy. Although the welfare of our leaders should be given the needed attention and priority, it is unjust to do so without paying reasonable attention to the welfare of the very people who appointed such leaders. The recent deployment of about 800 police personnel to protect Members of Parliament at home, when the constituents  they are representing do not enjoy such a privilege, has generated a lot of public interest[12] and outcry because most ordinary Ghanaians feel their welfare are neglected.

Notwithstanding the numerous benefits our national leaders enjoy, the fact remains that the most powerful people in Ghana are Ghanaians; not their elected representatives necessarily. Ghanaians should gain cognizance of their sovereignty as a people and not allow themselves to be easily swayed by numerous campaign promises because the hard truth is that we are responsible for the decisions and actions of the people we elect into office. We must also demand accountability from our leaders while serving in public offices, not only during elections. Our elected representatives must never forget that they are elected into office to serve the interest of the Ghanaian populace, not their personal or political interests.

 

Richard Obeng Mensah, author of If You Think of Your Opposition You Lose Your Position .The writer is an award-winning author of 7 books and over 250 articles.  He is also a certified life and leadership coach, a lawyer, a legal academic and a blogger.  Blog: www.richard-obeng-mensah.blogspot.com  Email: richardobengmensah@gmail.com © 12 November 2020.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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[1] Cornell Law School ‘Sovereignty’ https://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/sovereignty> accessed 8 November 2020

[2] Ibid

[3] Genesis 1:26-28;  Psalm 24:1; 115:16

[4] 1992 Constitution (Ghana) Art 1(1)

[5] Ibid

[6] Ibid Art 57(2).

[7] James Chen ‘Principal-Agent Relationship’ (2020) < https://www.investopedia.com/terms/p/principal-agent-relationship.asp> accessed 8 November 2020

[8] Proverbs 23:7

[9] Kojo Akoto Boateng ‘Full details of huge pay, ex-gratia for MPs, others’ (2017) https://www.google.com/amp/citifmonline.com/2017/01/full-details-of-huge-pay-ex-gratia-for-mps-others/amp/ accessed 8 November 2020

[10] Ibid

[11] Ibid

[12] Nana Konadu Agyeman ‘800 Police personnel to protect MPs at home-Interior Minister’ (2020) https://www.graphic.com.gh/news/general-news/800-police-personnel-to-protect-mps-at-home-interior-minister.html accessed 8 November 3030

ECONOMIC MANAGEMENT AND CORRUPTION IN GHANA

 

ECONOMIC MANAGEMENT AND CORRUPTION IN GHANA

 

Without strong watchdog institutions, impunity becomes the very foundation upon which systems of corruption are built. And if impunity is not demolished, all efforts to bring an end to corruption are in vain — Rigoberta Menchú, Nobel Prize laureate.

 

Economic management and corruption are key determinants of the development of countries around the world.  The developed countries are highly advanced because of the effective management of their economies and corruption-related issues. Developing countries on the other hand, continue to grapple with economic management and corruption.

Economic management is the management of the resources, finances, income and expenditure of a community, business enterprise and so forth.[1] In the case of Ghana, the issue of economic management has been a very crucial one in the country’s political space and one of the major determinants of the outcome of the 2016 elections. The New Patriotic Party (NPP) which was the major opposition party at the time criticised the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) for the mismanagement of the country’s economy which in their view had brought untold hardship to many people in Ghana. The NDC was also constantly criticised for excessive borrowing.

In recent times, the Standard and Poor Global Rating has put Ghana’s credit rating to B which implies the country’s economic outlook is stable.[2] This appears to be good news for the Ghana’s economy. However, during the reading of the 2020 midyear budget review, the Finance Minister revealed to Parliament that Ghana’s public debt stock had hit about GH¢255,727.1 million (US$ 45,486.1 million) by the end of June 2020.[3] The figure jumped to GH¢263.1 billion in July 2020, representing about 68.3 percent of the country’s GDP.[4] In October 2020, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) forecast a worrying 76.7% of debt-to-GDP ratio for Ghana in 2020. This put Ghana in the high risk of debt distress category.[5] The foregoing implies that the ruling NPP government has also not fared too well with the management of the economy since the country is now in more debt than it was four years ago. The government has however defended its actions, citing the banking crisis and Covid-19 as some of the reasons that necessitated its action to borrow more. It is worth noting, however, that Ghana’s total public debt stock was GH¢204.6 billion as at January 2020.[6] Both the World Bank and IMF had prior to Covid-19 expressed worry about the country’s rising debt levels, which poses challenges to its fiscal economy.[7]

The World Bank defines corruption as the abuse of public office for private gain. [8] Public office is abused for private gains when an official accepts, solicits, or extorts a bribe.  It is also abused when private agents actively offer bribes to circumvent public policies and process for competitive advantage and profit. Corruption is endemic in developing countries and this has stifled development in many parts of the world. One of the major setbacks of development in Africa is largely attributed to the lack of political will of governments and leaders to curb this canker. Ghana’s economy has suffered a great deal because of certain acts of corruption by ruling governments. In August 2019, Ghana Integrity Initiative revealed that the country loses close to US$3 billion to corruption annually.[9] The issue of corruption is constantly included in the manifestos of political parties during election campaigns. However, little is done to combat corruption when these parties are eventually elected into office.

Ghana’s current position on the corruption perception index released by Transparency International in January 2020 is 41 out of 100, a sharp decline from 47 in 2015.[10] Ghana recorded its worst performance with an average score of 40 out of 100. The figure rose marginally to 41 in 2018 and maintained that figure in 2019.[11] This implies that Ghana is failing woefully in the combat of corruption. It is exigent that all citizens remain committed to fighting corruption in all its forms in their various dealings and places of work. Political parties must also have the political will to battle corruption when they are in power and not just talk about it only when they are in opposition. Ghana needs strong and robust institutions as well as people with integrity to fight corruption to enhance an effective management of the economy.

Economic management and corruption are issues which countries, especially developing countries such as Ghana, need to deal with decisively. It serves a country no purpose to have good managers of its economy who are also corrupt. Leaders must not amass wealth to enrich themselves and their families to the detriment of the ordinary Ghanaian and future generations. It is submitted that the lives of many Ghanaians would be greatly transformed if the US$3 billion, which is lost through corruption annually, is injected into the economy to promote national development. The reduction of corruption would also go a long way to reduce the habit of constant borrowing from the IMF, World Bank and other institutions. Tackling the issue of corruption head on is one of the best ways any government can manage Ghana’s economy. One of the effective ways to do this is to build strong national institutions and nip impunity in the bud. No more lip services towards the fight against corruption in Ghana. Let us walk the talk!

 

 

Richard Obeng Mensah, author of If You Think of Your Opposition You Lose Your Position .The writer is an award-winning author of 7 books and over 250 articles.  He is also a certified life and leadership coach, a lawyer, a legal academic and a blogger.  Blog: www.richard-obeng-mensah.blogspot.com   Email: richardobengmensah@gmail.com © 3 November 2020.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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[1] ‘Economic management’ <https://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/economic-management/> accessed October 30, 2020

[2] ‘S&P Global Rating lowers Ghana’s Long-term Rating to B- with a Stable Outlook (2020) Ministry of Finance

<https://mofep.gov.gh/press-release/2020-09-14/global-ratings-lowers-ghanas-long-term-rating-to-b-with-a-stable-outlook/> Accessed October 30, 2020

[3] ‘Ghana’s public debt stock now GHS 255 bn-Ofori-Atta’ (2020) GhanaW263bn in July 2020 >https://mobile.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/business/Ghana-s-public-debt-stock-now-GH-255bn-Ofori-Atta-1014967< Accessed 2 November 2020

[4] Charles Nixon Yeboah, ‘Ghana’s debt jumped 1.66% to hit GH¢263bn in July 2020’ <https://www.myjoyonline.com/business/ghanas-debt-jumped-1-66-hit-ghs263bn-in-july-2020> Accessed 3 November 2020.

[5] Charles Nixon Yeboah, ‘Ghana’s debt-to-GDP ratio to hit 76.7% in 2020-IMF’ <https://www.myjoyonline.com/business/ghanas-debt-to-gdp-ratio-to-hit-76-7-in-2020-imf/> Accessed 3 November 2020.

[6] Charles Nixon Yeboah (n 4).

[7] Ibid

[8]‘Corruption and Economic Development’ The World Bank Group

 <http://www1.worldbank.org/publicsector/anticorrupt/corruptn/cor02.htm> accessed October 30, 2020

[9]  Zdravko Ljubas, ‘Ghana loses US$3 Billion to corruption a year’ (2019)

 <https://www.occrp.org/en/daily/10498-ghana-loses-us-3-billion-to-corruption-a-year/> accessed October 30, 2020

[10] ‘Ghana Maintains score on Corruption Perception Index’ (2020) ARAP

< http://www.arapghana.eu/news/ghana-maintains-score-on-corruption-perception-index/> accessed October 30, 2020

[11] Ibid

‘AGYAPA’ OR ‘AGYABƆNE’?

 

Or what man is there among you who, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent? If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!- Matthew 7:9-11.

 

Agyapa in Asante Twi literary means a good father while agyabɔne is a bad one. From the above scriptural text, it is evident that no good father will give his child a bad gift. In fact, a good father leaves agyapade3 (inheritance) to his grandchildren -Proverbs 13:22. In recent times, the Agyapa Royalties deal has generated a lot of public interest with several conflicting views about whether the deal is indeed a good one for Ghana.

The Agyapa deal can be traced to June 2018 when Parliament passed the Minerals Income Investment Fund Act 2018 (Act 978).  The object of the Act is to manage the equity interests in mining companies, receive royalties on behalf of the Government of Ghana and to provide for the management and investment of the assets of the Fund. The Ministry of Finance revealed on 27^th August 2020 that the Agyapa Royalties Limited is a gold royalty company and its main purpose is to help finance gold mining companies that want to develop new mining projects in exchange for royalties or revenue once a mining company starts producing gold.[1] The deal is valued at $1 billion.[2] According to the Ministry, the deal is aimed at raising between $500 million and $750 million upfront to finance the country’s development in four main sectors: health, education, road infrastructure and housing.[3] The expected revenue will also be used in the development of the mining communities.[4]

The main opposition party in Ghana, the National Democratic Congress, as well as Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) have expressed their displeasure over the Agyapa deal for a number of reasons. It has been argued, that, the creation of Agyapa Royalties Limited as an offshore company in a tax haven will pose a challenge for the government to exercise oversight regarding the company’s activities.[5] There has also been the argument that the deal is problematic because it has been grossly undervalued.[6] To the CSOs, the implementation of the policy lacks sufficient transparency.[7] There has also been concerns about the hasty manner in which the government is running to the stock market without addressing some issues raised by some concerned citizens or stakeholders, thereby hindering consensus building on such a crucial matter.[8]

The Government has however issued a statement in response to the concerns raised by the NDC and the CSOS, stating that the rationale for the deal being valued at $1 billion is mainly to attract investors.[9] The Ministry of Finance had contended that the country has not benefited much from its natural resources because value extraction ends immediately after these resources leave the shores of the country hence the need for the Agyapa deal.[10] It has also been argued that if it is acceptable to borrow today for the future, why then is it not acceptable to use the nation’s assets today to leverage its assets for tomorrow?[11]

Mining industries have significant impact on the economies of countries with mineral deposits. According to the Ghana Chamber of Mines’ 2019 Industry Statistics and Data, the mineral royalties Ghana received in 2019 was GH¢1,006,668.50. Governments therefore ought to be very circumspect in the management of mineral resources and royalties. As a country, it is imperative we interrogate the Agyapa deal further to be certain that its implementation will not be tantamount to selling Ghana’s birthright for a lump sum of money to the detriment of generations unborn. We must critically analyse the implications the deal would have on the future of gold revenue in the country.

Fortunately, the Special Prosecutor, Mr. Martin Amidu has recently commenced investigations into the controversial deal and Ghanaians can only hope that the outcome of his investigations will be timely enough to help us conclude on whether the deal is indeed Agyapa or Agyabɔne.

 

Richard Obeng Mensah, author of If You Think of Your Opposition You Lose Your Position .The writer is an award-winning author of 7 books and over 200 articles.  He is a certified life and leadership coach, a lawyer, a legal academic and a blogger.  Blog: www.richard-obeng-mensah.blogspot.com    Email: richardobengmensah@gmail.com © October 5, 2020

 

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[1] ‘Agyapa Royalties best deal for Ghana’s Gold’ (2020) Ministry of Finance https://www.mofep.gov.gh/news-and-events/2020-08-29/agyapa-royalties-best-deal-for-ghana%E2%80%99s-gold-ken-ofori-atta accessed 4 October 2020

[2] ‘$1 bn Agyapa Royalties deal valuation was to attract investors-Buaben Asamoa’ (2020) Ghana Web https://mobile.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/NewsArchive/1bn-Agyapa-Royalties-deal-valuation-was-to-attract-investors-Buaben-Asamoa-1050538 accessed 5 October 2020

[3] ibid (n 1)

[4] ibid

[5] ‘What you need to know about the Agyapa Royalties deal and the controversies’ (2020) Ghana Web                  <https://mobile.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/business/What-you-need-to-know-about-Ayapa-Royalties-deal-and-the-controversies-104564> accessed 4 October 2020

[6] ‘Government gambling on value of Agyapa Royalties deal-CSOs’ (2020) Citi News Room https://www.google.com/amp/s/citinewsroom.com/2020/09/government -gambling-on-value-of-agyapa-royalties-deal-csos/amp/ accessed 4 October 2020

[7] ibid

[8] ibid

[9] ibid (n 2)

[10] ibid (n 1)

[11] ibid

LEARNING TO LIVE WITH THE CORONA VIRUS?

LEARNING TO LIVE WITH THE CORONA VIRUS?

For in Him we live and move and have our being, as also some of your own poets have said, 
‘For we are also His offspring’ – Acts 17:28 [NKJV]

Corona virus is a demonic plague. It was first manifested in Wuhan, China, in the latter part of 2019 and named Covid-19. It sneaked into the other cities and nations of the world in subsequent months. In the first quarter of 2020, WHO described it as a pandemic (or say epidemic). Today, it has been described as an endemic; generally meaning it has come to stay. At the time of this writing, our scientists are yet to fully comprehend the nature of this novel virus. We are thus admonished to learn to live with it and either live or perish!

Like Satan, Corona virus, came not except to steal, kill and destroy. It is stealing lives, businesses, families, churches, organisations, cities and nations through its accompanied mass weapons of heightened conspiracy theories, suspicions, anxieties and fears. It continues to kill thousands, having already slayed about 300,000 of its over six million preys. It continues to destroy livelihoods, businesses, organisations, cities and world economies. Nonetheless some intellectual experts and political leaders are admonishing their citizenry to learn to live with this vicious virus, because there is no vaccine or antidote yet.

Learning to live with a vicious foe, such as Corona virus, is a fatal lethal injection. Likewise weapons of mass destruction, Corona virus is not an enemy that deserves our love. It needs not to be tolerated but must always be resisted, conquered, dominated and rooted out. Scientific protocols are not the only ways to defeat a brutal virus like Covid-19. Mere observance of human-centred protocols or measures alone may breed frustration,   disappointment and disbelief.

A body without a spirit is dead, or is a feared corpse. Human-centred and well-intentioned measures devoid of spiritual truths are deadly injections. No wonder Covid-19 is still a force to reckon with despite the observance of all the associated protocols, hence the ongoing easing of the various restrictions and the soundbites and jingles on ‘learn to live with it’ – a probable indication of losing the battle against the virus.

Faith without works is dead and vice versa. A potent combination of faith in God through His word and godly common sense measures are central to conquering and rooting out the Corona virus. Do not just choose to live with the virus but rather strive to conquer, dominate and overcome it. God expects humankind to conquer and dominate anything He allows to exist. The only invincible weapon that overcomes this world and anything associated with it is faith in God and the doing of godly works which can only be done by born-again believers. “For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that overcomes the world, our faith. Who is he who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God” – 1 John 5:4-5 [NKJV].  This simply means that it takes Christ-centred faith and works to overcome this world. Indeed you can immerse yourself in 100% alcohol-based sanitizers and still perish by this tiny cruel Covid-19 if your faith is only centred in scientific protocols.

It takes faith in Jesus (believing that He is the Son of God) to execute faith-anchored-works which always deliver overcoming and victorious outcomes, including defeating Covid-19. For there is no other name on earth that has been given to mankind to be saved except Jesus. Unlike Corona virus, Jesus came to this earth to conquer sin and death of all kinds so that you might have eternal life and have it more abundantly, even after your physical death. Jesus is the only begotten Son God has given to this world so that whoever believes in Him will not perish by Corona virus or sin but shall have eternal life in this world and beyond.

Refuse to live with a wicked killer such as Covid-19. Do not just follow every wind of medical, political or mere religious doctrines but endeavour to filter them with your faith in Christ to avert deceptive philosophies of men. More importantly, choose to strengthen your faith in Jesus Christ for in Him we live, move and have our being. In Him lies the weapon to conquer and obliterate this and every savage virus. It is always better and wise to live with Jesus. Receive Him!

Richard Obeng Mensah, author of Wisdom Thoughts .The writer is a Minister of God, and a certified Life and Leadership Coach. He is also a lawyer, a legal academic, and a prolific author of 7 books and over 200 articles. Blog: www.richard-obeng-mensah.blogspot.com Email: richardobengmensah@gmail.com © 6 May 2020

THE CORONA PLAGUE IN A CORONA WORLD

THE CORONA PLAGUE IN A CORONA WORLD

Yes, you have afflicted a million and thousands, and massacred thousands

Yes, you are roaring like a lion and seeking to devour communities and nations

Yes, a thousand has fallen at our side and ten thousands at our right hand

Yes, you have physically shutdown churches, businesses, schools and closed borders
Yes, you have fuelled and heightened conspiracy theories, suspicions, anxieties and fears.

Nevertheless, thousands of your captives are bouncing to normal life

Indeed, several nations have defeated you and will continue to break your siege

Certainly, families, societies and nations have united to overthrow your oppression

Yes, you shall surely fall on your face like Goliath with just one precious stone.

Covid-19, sooner and sooner you shall be no more; your place cannot be found

Indeed, we shall carefully search for you in your hidden places but you shall be no more

You shall soon be cut down like the grass and wither as the green herbs

Definitely, for yet a little while, your ferocious wickedness shall be no more.

Scientifically, you shall be broken into pieces like your predecessors

Sensibly, you are being washed down, sanitized, socially distanced, and traced    

Strategically, you are being surveilled, contained, diagnosed and terrorized

Spiritually, you are a defeated foe and you shall bow to the invincible name

For the name of the Lord is a strong tower which provides refuge to its seekers

He who keeps us will neither slumber nor sleep; He will preserve our souls from your evil works. O Covid-19, you have been swallowed in victory; where is your sting, where is your victory?

 Richard Obeng Mensah, author of Wisdom Thoughts .
The writer is a Minister of God, and a certified Life and Leadership Coach. 
He is also a lawyer, a legal academic, and a prolific author of 7 books and over 200 articles. Blog: www.richard-obeng-mensah.blogspot.com 
Email: richardobengmensah@gmail.com   © 10 April 2020.