AM Show || BoG losses are as a result of mismanagement - Prof. John Gatsi - video Dailymotion

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Transcript

00:00:00 - Everyone, welcome to a Tuesday morning

00:00:03 here on the Journey's channel.

00:00:05 The show is the AM Show.

00:00:07 So what's your plan for today?

00:00:09 I guess you're out there to achieve them,

00:00:12 but remember that the opportunities that are opening today,

00:00:15 like I always say,

00:00:17 will be taken advantage of the prepared mind.

00:00:19 So how prepared are you?

00:00:20 Well, get prepared, step out there,

00:00:22 and make good of the opportunities that are opening to you.

00:00:25 Good morning again, and welcome.

00:00:27 On behalf of the team, please,

00:00:29 thanks for making us a part of your morning.

00:00:31 Well, on the AM Show today,

00:00:32 we'll start off with the news review.

00:00:34 Loya Kweku-Pinto will be our guest this morning.

00:00:38 After that, we'll bring you the latest

00:00:40 from the world of sports.

00:00:41 Mufti Awodabila will be joining us

00:00:43 with all that you need to know from the world of sports.

00:00:46 Yesterday, Arsenal won their game

00:00:49 by how many goals, he will tell you.

00:00:52 And then we'll move on to the big stories.

00:00:53 Today on the show,

00:00:54 we delve into the Bank of Ghana issue.

00:00:57 The Bank of Ghana Governor, Dr. Adesina,

00:01:00 has been speaking and explaining the reasons

00:01:04 for their loss of 60.8 billion.

00:01:07 Professor Lord Ming-Tsang,

00:01:10 who is an Associate Professor of Finance,

00:01:11 University of Ghana Business School,

00:01:13 will be joining us.

00:01:14 Professor John Gatchi, as well,

00:01:15 is the Dean of the School of Business

00:01:18 of the University of Cape Coast.

00:01:19 He will be joining us as well

00:01:20 for us to delve into all of those issues.

00:01:23 We'll take you to the Upper East Region of Ghana,

00:01:27 which has recorded the highest number of cases

00:01:30 of elephantiasis, also known as lymphatic filariasis,

00:01:35 in the country.

00:01:36 Why that?

00:01:37 What is accounting for that?

00:01:38 Now, according to the Ghana Service,

00:01:40 there has been some 2,373 confirmed cases

00:01:44 of elephantiasis in the region,

00:01:46 accounting for about a third of the total national cases.

00:01:50 But why is that?

00:01:51 We'll discuss that with Bright Alomatu,

00:01:54 Desk Officer for Lymphatic Filariasis NTD Program,

00:01:58 and Sulawun Atimbere,

00:02:00 Program Manager, American Leprosy Missions.

00:02:03 They will be joining us to have that conversation here.

00:02:06 Now, also on the show,

00:02:07 we'll talk about the operation

00:02:08 Double Science STEM Enrollment.

00:02:11 The Education Ministry says,

00:02:12 "This initiative is to educate and sensitize the public

00:02:16 "on the prospect of pursuing science

00:02:19 "and STEM-related courses."

00:02:21 They're mystifying the learning of science and STEM

00:02:23 and leading to increased enrollment

00:02:26 in our respective senior high schools across the country.

00:02:28 We'll delve into this and find out how it's gonna be done

00:02:33 and all of the things that you need to know in that.

00:02:36 Now, Chale Wote began yesterday

00:02:39 with a beautiful procession,

00:02:41 you know, cultural procession through Osu.

00:02:45 We'll learn about it, we'll take you there

00:02:47 and tell you much more about Chale Wote.

00:02:49 It's happening, it's still ongoing till 27th of this month.

00:02:53 Remember that this show is about you and I,

00:02:57 and so your say is very valued to us,

00:03:00 and therefore, the Dine Ambassadors of the show

00:03:03 would let you have your say.

00:03:05 You can call us on phone,

00:03:06 plus our social media reactions

00:03:08 to the topics that we'll be discussing,

00:03:09 and then we'll all together share our thoughts

00:03:12 on how to build Mata Gana.

00:03:13 That's how the show will be,

00:03:15 and I hope that you spend your morning with us.

00:03:18 I am grateful that you've allowed us

00:03:20 to be part of the morning.

00:03:21 Well, welcome to it, and that's how the show will be,

00:03:25 but up next is the AM News.

00:03:27 Stay with us.

00:03:28 (dramatic music)

00:03:32 (dramatic music)

00:03:59 - Good morning, and welcome to the AM News.

00:04:02 Resident of Nkwanta in the Nkwanta South municipality

00:04:05 of the Oti region say they fear recent flooding

00:04:08 in the area could collapse the bridge.

00:04:10 The steel bridge caved in three years ago

00:04:13 as a result of heavy trucks crushing.

00:04:15 Though a directive was given by Roads Minister

00:04:18 Amwakwata to get it fixed, the bridge is still faulty.

00:04:21 Peter Seno reports.

00:04:23 - Is it a helpless situation for residents

00:04:27 in Nkwanta South municipal capital?

00:04:29 Maybe, yes.

00:04:30 It has been over three years since the Roads Minister

00:04:33 Amwakwata ordered for the caved-in bridge

00:04:36 to be fixed immediately sometime in February 2020.

00:04:40 Nothing has really been done about it till now.

00:04:44 Residents who were on site refused to speak to Joy News

00:04:48 because they had complained over the years,

00:04:51 but to no avail.

00:04:53 Only one man, Adam Ahmed, a driver who could not work

00:04:57 due to the nature of the bridge, spoke to Joy News.

00:04:59 - I believe if Joy News gets involved in this,

00:05:10 we will have some solution.

00:05:12 I am a driver on the road, and the road is not too good.

00:05:16 For it to move from here to Kwai and Powa,

00:05:18 it is not that easy.

00:05:20 We are just appealing to the authorities involved

00:05:23 to get this bridge fixed for us.

00:05:26 Our cars are behind.

00:05:28 It is the tricycles that bring the loads

00:05:31 and the passengers to us.

00:05:32 - The collapsing steel bridge has also been hit

00:05:43 by flood water a week ago,

00:05:45 dangerously exposing the concrete works.

00:05:47 Adjoining communities who use the bridge

00:05:49 to access Nkwanta Market on Mondays are also cut off.

00:05:53 This would definitely have a toll on their income

00:05:56 and other economic activities.

00:05:58 Bright Lungwa is the emcee for Nkwanta South.

00:06:01 He has been providing some explanations to Joy News.

00:06:05 - The bridge over the Gichewbung Bridge River

00:06:09 in Nkwanta Town happened the way it is today

00:06:14 because a truck that is loaded with foodstuffs

00:06:20 supposed to overtake it by the load

00:06:25 that it was carrying.

00:06:26 And so it caused a caving of the bridge.

00:06:30 And this has been the situation since 2020 thereabout.

00:06:34 Since then, we have made several attempts

00:06:37 to create some diversions to avoid

00:06:41 commuters from using that bridge

00:06:45 because in our own estimation,

00:06:47 it has become a death bridge

00:06:49 and any disaster could occur on it.

00:06:52 - He denies the broken culvert in the water

00:06:55 was due to poor work done by the contractor,

00:06:58 adding it was done earlier 2022

00:07:00 to pave way for works to begin on the metal bridge.

00:07:04 - I don't want to believe the work

00:07:05 that the contractor did on the culvert,

00:07:07 which is the diversion, was a shoddy work, no.

00:07:10 It was well constructed,

00:07:14 but the volume of water that comes is high.

00:07:17 And take note, that was also a temporary work.

00:07:21 It was done early 2022

00:07:24 so that engineers will have access

00:07:26 to come and work on the metal bridge.

00:07:29 So the diversion, which is made of culvert,

00:07:33 was done according to specification.

00:07:35 - But how helpless is the situation?

00:07:39 The MC does not agree it is a helpless one,

00:07:43 even after three years of the bridge

00:07:45 being in a dangerous state without any action.

00:07:48 - I wouldn't say it's a helpless situation

00:07:50 because since the last event,

00:07:53 we've again communicated with our superiors,

00:07:56 reported to my immediate boss,

00:07:59 the regional minister and my sector minister.

00:08:02 I was at the federal department as well

00:08:06 with reports of pictures and other things

00:08:09 that shows that, yes, the bridge has been devastated again.

00:08:14 And for now, it's gotten more serious than it used to be.

00:08:18 I want to believe that very soon,

00:08:20 action will be taken on that.

00:08:22 - Until such time that the orders of the road minister

00:08:25 to get the bridge fixed immediately are carried out,

00:08:28 students and other road users

00:08:30 risk their lives working on this danger.

00:08:34 Peter Senu for Joy News.

00:08:37 - Well, the economy has been unforgiving,

00:08:45 but for Johannes and Elijah,

00:08:48 abject rural poverty had made it even more unbearable.

00:08:52 The double blow of an economic crisis on rural life

00:08:55 had done nothing to weaken their resolve

00:08:58 to get a better life in the city.

00:09:00 They are taking on the art and are determined

00:09:02 to break the vicious cycle of poverty in their families.

00:09:05 The first in a series of inspirational stories

00:09:08 in the midst of a biting economic crisis.

00:09:11 Dark stories of hope, my amazing amateur,

00:09:14 and a series of transformative looks

00:09:16 at the exciting journey of Johannes and Elijah.

00:09:19 - Welcome to Accra.

00:09:36 Here to survive, one needs to be resourceful, resilient,

00:09:41 and have the skill, the knowledge, the skills,

00:09:44 and the ingenuities to create a space to call home.

00:09:48 Meet 27-year-old Johannes.

00:09:53 He aspires to make it big in Accra.

00:09:57 He lives in this kiosk in the heart of Spintex,

00:10:00 the retail hub.

00:10:02 - I ended up here after my senior high school education.

00:10:07 And he said I should come.

00:10:08 So when I came, he got me a place.

00:10:11 I never know, people used to sleep in wooden structure.

00:10:17 I never see some before.

00:10:18 - Johannes' journey from KGB was tarred

00:10:22 with hope and expectation, a good job to live his dream.

00:10:26 The Volta region of KGB for him had become stale.

00:10:29 - I want to be a politician.

00:10:32 I want to go and do political science.

00:10:34 - Okay. - Yeah.

00:10:36 But as time goes on, the dream change.

00:10:38 - True. - Yeah, football.

00:10:41 Go back is where I used to play.

00:10:43 But I've never had it in my mind,

00:10:45 because it's my passion,

00:10:46 but I never thought of being a footballer.

00:10:49 But when I come to Accra,

00:10:51 me training with people,

00:10:53 going to play football at places,

00:10:55 I say, "Nah, things have to change."

00:10:58 And I try pushing myself.

00:11:01 I mean, travel out of Ghana.

00:11:04 - His new estate is crammed

00:11:06 with countless wooden structures carved out

00:11:10 by dream hopefuls to the pathway of their desired future.

00:11:14 And Johannes' home is one out of 140,637 locks

00:11:19 to find their feet in the city.

00:11:23 The limited access to proper housing

00:11:27 forces 8.8 million Ghanaians,

00:11:31 27% of the population, to live in slums.

00:11:36 The numbers are likely to go up

00:11:38 as the urban centers continue to look attractive

00:11:42 to the youth from the hinterlands like Johannes.

00:11:46 It is mid-morning in the estates.

00:11:50 Johannes and his friend Elijah get ready to go to work

00:11:54 at the biscuit factory located about 500 meters

00:11:57 from where they live.

00:11:59 The estate is a gold mine of cheap labor

00:12:03 for the factories and shops in the neighborhood,

00:12:06 which they mine every now and then for their businesses.

00:12:10 As a factory mechanic,

00:12:13 Johannes earns a little above 1,000 CDs a month.

00:12:17 This caters for his rent, remittances to his family,

00:12:21 and everyday expenses.

00:12:24 - There are a lot of things in my mind to achieve,

00:12:29 but here like the case, I have siblings in school,

00:12:33 one in nurses training, recently one completes senior high.

00:12:38 So they do call, I may say, "My dad is no more."

00:12:44 So it's like pressure is on.

00:12:47 - With more than 5.4 million residents in Accra

00:12:55 trying to make ends meet,

00:12:57 Johannes is carefully looking to carve a niche for himself.

00:13:01 He's working on opening a bread shop

00:13:04 in addition to his factory work.

00:13:06 - Where the system push you to, that's where you move.

00:13:11 Yes.

00:13:14 Now the system is hard.

00:13:16 You can't decide to make things comfortable for yourself.

00:13:20 It's impossible.

00:13:24 So when the system strike, you strike.

00:13:27 - The aim is to amass enough money

00:13:31 to further his football career outside the country.

00:13:35 - I have a work, my hand work, I bake bread.

00:13:39 So right now, that's what I want to focus for now.

00:13:44 I want to get container and then buy materials

00:13:48 and start baking.

00:13:49 Then I'll see the way forward.

00:13:51 I really won't rely on company money, the place I work,

00:13:54 but I see that now.

00:13:55 It can't match.

00:13:57 - To other stories now,

00:14:02 and one of the schools featured in season two

00:14:05 of Ghana's School of Shame

00:14:07 has received furniture to cater for over 400 peoples

00:14:09 in the Bakpagbah Primary School

00:14:12 in the Nanumba North municipality.

00:14:14 After government donated 100 dual desks,

00:14:16 a licensed cocoa buying company, Fetco,

00:14:18 also donated 100 desks, features editor, Jojo Kobner,

00:14:22 reports that the furniture situation

00:14:24 in the school has been permanently solved.

00:14:26 - What is happening here is not a festival.

00:14:37 The people of Bakpagbah in the Nanumba North municipality

00:14:40 are excited.

00:14:41 For years, the majority of children here

00:14:44 have been without school furniture.

00:14:46 They dance their hearts out to celebrate the donation

00:14:49 of furniture to the school.

00:14:51 But that is the end of the story.

00:14:53 Let's go to the beginning.

00:14:55 The story of Bakpagbah Primary started in April, 2023.

00:14:59 For years, children in Bakpagbah kneels, squats, sit,

00:15:03 or sometimes lie on their bellies

00:15:06 because they had no furniture.

00:15:08 Gifty Odanjo, a pupil in class five,

00:15:11 was compelled to come to school earlier than usual

00:15:14 in order to get access to furniture.

00:15:17 Access to furniture in the school

00:15:19 is on a first-come, first-served basis.

00:15:22 Majority of pupils improvise by squatting,

00:15:25 lying on their bellies,

00:15:26 or assuming weird positions on the floor

00:15:29 just to get an education.

00:15:31 Gifty could not take it anymore.

00:15:34 She burst into tears as she narrated

00:15:36 the ordeal they endure daily.

00:15:38 (speaking in foreign language)

00:15:41 - As you can see, some of us don't have uniforms.

00:15:44 Even me, I don't have any decent uniform.

00:15:47 And we sit on the floor to learn.

00:15:50 When it rains, we are compelled to sit in this structure.

00:15:54 Because of its size, we are bitten by the rain.

00:15:57 (speaking in foreign language)

00:15:59 - During the rainy season, whenever it rains,

00:16:02 it leans from the up there.

00:16:04 So they have to run into a small room over there.

00:16:07 So she come into school to see her colleagues lying down.

00:16:11 Once you look at this, you feel sad.

00:16:13 So that was what made her cry.

00:16:16 I feel bad.

00:16:18 - The Ministry of Education

00:16:19 donated 100 dual desks to the school,

00:16:22 but the school needed 100 dual desks more.

00:16:24 Fedco, a local licensed cocoa buying company,

00:16:28 came to the rescue and donated 100 dual desks

00:16:31 to completely cater for the needs of the students.

00:16:34 - We thank God for giving us the opportunity

00:16:37 to do this for our community.

00:16:40 - The furniture was handed over

00:16:41 to the Municipal Education Office,

00:16:43 and they also handed it over to the school.

00:16:45 (drumming)

00:16:48 No child has been left behind.

00:16:52 They all have furniture.

00:16:54 The cooperative manager of Fedco,

00:16:56 Dr. Bernhard Achibold Senyo Ajiman,

00:16:59 advised the school to maintain the furniture.

00:17:01 - We have resolved to share our profit with the society,

00:17:06 not only those in our catchment,

00:17:09 but also those beyond our catchment.

00:17:12 So when we got the news from Joy News,

00:17:15 we felt that these children, who are future leaders,

00:17:20 deserve to have the furniture that is required

00:17:24 to promote effective learning.

00:17:26 They have also put other supports that they required,

00:17:30 not for Bapawa School alone,

00:17:32 but schools in the district.

00:17:35 We will look at them,

00:17:37 and once we have the resources,

00:17:39 we will try as much as we can to support them.

00:17:42 - Kifty Odanjo is excited.

00:17:45 (speaking in foreign language)

00:17:50 - I am excited that we all have furniture.

00:17:53 I will be happier if someone gives me a school uniform.

00:17:57 That will be great.

00:17:58 - Well, her tears have dried replaced with a smile.

00:18:06 This is the Bapawa DA Primary School, Primary 5.

00:18:10 Last time, it was pure disaster here,

00:18:13 but now the children get to learn with some dignity.

00:18:17 So Kifty, what do you have to say to all of us?

00:18:21 - Thank you so much.

00:18:23 - You're welcome.

00:18:24 You're welcome.

00:18:25 - Joy News partner forces in two of Ghana's schools of shame.

00:18:29 School for Life is also excited

00:18:31 that private companies are helping.

00:18:34 Amadou Zouliadine,

00:18:36 the advocacy and policy influencing specialist,

00:18:39 speaks for School for Life.

00:18:41 - Gaps in the delivery of education

00:18:45 includes the lack of furniture, lack of infrastructure,

00:18:48 that is the classrooms, teaching and learning resources.

00:18:52 And it means that the effort

00:18:54 that we are witnessing here today

00:18:56 can be replicated in other areas

00:18:58 so that the furniture situation,

00:18:59 the classroom situation can actually be closed

00:19:02 to give full meaning of education

00:19:05 to children who are schooling in these rural areas

00:19:08 or remote areas of Ghana.

00:19:10 - The power of a simple story.

00:19:13 Jojo Kobda, Joy News.

00:19:15 (children shouting)

00:19:18 - Now the Ghana Investment Fund

00:19:24 for Electronic Communications, GIFEC,

00:19:26 is professing ICT-driven solutions

00:19:28 to the myriad of Ghana's developmental needs.

00:19:30 The fund hopes the rollout

00:19:32 of the Data Transformation Agenda Program

00:19:35 will augment the government's investment

00:19:37 in science, technology, engineering

00:19:39 and mathematics STEM activities.

00:19:42 There's more in this report.

00:19:43 - GIFEC, with the support of the Norwegian Agency

00:19:48 for Development Cooperation, NORAD,

00:19:50 the International Telecommunications Union, and Cisco,

00:19:53 has rolled out interactive ICT-driven training programs

00:19:56 for teachers and peoples in Ghana.

00:19:59 Through its Digital Transformation Centers project,

00:20:02 which began in 2021, GIFEC hopes to lead the way

00:20:07 in helping Ghana find an antidote

00:20:09 to its environmental, agricultural, and economic woes

00:20:13 through ICT-professed solutions.

00:20:16 Initially designed to develop basic

00:20:18 and intermediary ICT skills of beneficiaries,

00:20:21 the program has trained over 1,200 children

00:20:25 and about 180 trainers,

00:20:27 leading to the establishment of 30 coding clubs

00:20:30 across the country.

00:20:32 They were introduced to STEM-made kits

00:20:35 provided by IOT Ghana.

00:20:38 GIFEC has adopted the phrase,

00:20:40 "Catch them young and they shall be yours forever,"

00:20:43 to train the next-generational thinkers

00:20:45 who will use ICT to solve Ghana's issues.

00:20:49 Chief Executive of GIFEC, Prince Ofosusifa, says,

00:20:53 "The time to cash in on ICT is now."

00:20:56 - The computer, all right, is a machine

00:21:01 that basically is set up to take some instructions, right?

00:21:06 So you tell or you code the instructions

00:21:12 and then you're able to have the computer

00:21:14 do what you want it to do.

00:21:17 When we talk about coding for kids,

00:21:19 we're basically talking about interactive,

00:21:22 interesting, creative programs that allow us

00:21:27 to expose the children to coding at a very early age.

00:21:32 Interest in computing and STEM in general also increases.

00:21:38 - He spoke at a graduation program in robotics

00:21:44 for the 30 teachers who will in turn

00:21:47 train other beneficiaries at Nkwantakesi

00:21:50 in the Ashanti region.

00:21:52 The coding club began in 2021.

00:21:55 The first one that we designed,

00:21:57 the projects we first had training for.

00:22:02 - What coding helps us to do

00:22:04 is to solve our everyday problems that we see around us.

00:22:09 Think of sanitation, transportation,

00:22:12 all the problems we see around us,

00:22:14 especially for us as developing countries.

00:22:18 The role of coding and data transformation

00:22:22 is to help use ICT to address some of these.

00:22:27 - Some beneficiary teachers

00:22:30 shared their experience with JoyNews.

00:22:32 - We use the code to instruct the device

00:22:35 to perform an action.

00:22:37 A smart sensors that when you are going to a room,

00:22:40 you are able to, the room will be able to open for you.

00:22:43 - From Nkwantakesi in the Ashanti region for JoyNews,

00:22:47 Joy Matuya reporting.

00:22:48 - Chairman of the governing

00:22:53 new patriotic parties election committee,

00:22:55 Professor Mike Aaron Okwe,

00:22:57 has issued a stern reminder to all aspirants

00:23:00 urging them to abstain from vote buying activities

00:23:03 as the party prepares for the super delegates Congress.

00:23:06 Professor Okwe stresses that vote buying

00:23:08 constitutes a criminal offense

00:23:10 and the party will go after anyone

00:23:12 found culpable in such practices.

00:23:16 - With regard to vote buying and that kind of thing,

00:23:21 we are very mindful of such challenges in politics.

00:23:26 Those who have the constitution of the republic

00:23:30 will see that political parties can't just operate.

00:23:35 All they do must be in accordance

00:23:38 with democratic principles.

00:23:40 That is a mandatory provision of our constitution.

00:23:44 And we will ensure that that is done.

00:23:47 It is because of such problems

00:23:51 that the committee has found it necessary

00:23:53 to also ensure that you cannot bring a telephone

00:23:58 because the telephones take pictures.

00:24:00 It's not because of calls, it's because of pictures

00:24:04 to where you are going to vote.

00:24:06 We make it an offense so that we don't have a situation

00:24:10 whereby someone takes a picture of how he or she voted

00:24:14 so as to go and sell it to somebody

00:24:16 for some financial interest, whatever.

00:24:19 So we are mindful of this and we are doing all we can.

00:24:24 Reminding the public also that in this good country of ours

00:24:28 vote buying is an offense, it's a criminal offense.

00:24:31 If you engage in it, both the giver and the givee

00:24:35 will face criminal consequences.

00:24:38 (laughing)

00:24:40 - The givee.

00:24:41 - Accordingly.

00:24:42 And in fact, it is because we are all to go

00:24:48 by democratic principles that we have invited you here.

00:24:51 You are stakeholders in the democratic process,

00:24:54 the fourth state of the realm.

00:24:56 And we expect you to actually help us

00:24:59 to do what is right in this country.

00:25:02 (silence)

00:25:04 - Now the Chale Wote Festival is ushering in a new era

00:25:12 at the Blackstone Square, its surrounding avenues

00:25:15 and within the Osu community.

00:25:16 This festival which commenced on Monday

00:25:18 drew a diverse crowd from various corners

00:25:21 to partake in a celebration of art and culture.

00:25:24 There's more in this report by Jacqueline and Somaya Boa.

00:25:29 - Currently we are at the Osu Castle

00:25:32 and yes, it is the 13th edition of the Chale Wote Festival.

00:25:36 And when we came here, all the people were getting registered

00:25:40 artists were putting up their artworks and many more.

00:25:43 Today's the first day they are about to start

00:25:45 with the procession.

00:25:46 So join me as we join them to procession

00:25:49 into the Osu town.

00:25:52 Okay, so you're about to start with the procession

00:25:54 and I've got a couple of diasporans here

00:25:56 and I want to talk to them and find out

00:25:58 why they traveled all the way to come here.

00:26:00 So hello, how are you doing?

00:26:02 - Hi, fantastic, how are you?

00:26:04 - I'm good, can you tell us your name?

00:26:05 - My name is Muthalibu Iganyo.

00:26:07 - I can't pronounce that.

00:26:09 And what's your name?

00:26:11 - I love that, Paul.

00:26:12 - Paul, thanks for saving me.

00:26:15 Anyways, you traveled all the way from South Africa

00:26:19 to come to Ghana to witness the Chale Wote Festival, why?

00:26:22 - Because this is one of the biggest festivals of its kind

00:26:24 in all of West Africa.

00:26:26 So we couldn't wait to come and experience it in person.

00:26:30 We are also showcasing a film on Wednesday.

00:26:32 So we are quite excited about that.

00:26:34 - Okay, all right, what about you?

00:26:36 - Yeah, same thing.

00:26:37 I am one of the actresses in the film.

00:26:40 So we're showcasing the film, "The Deal" on Wednesday.

00:26:43 - I bet you just want to know more about it.

00:26:45 So Ni, can you tell me more about what just happened earlier?

00:26:49 - We are processing from the Christian World Castle

00:26:53 to the Osu township.

00:26:54 Now as you can see, we have the Osu Woolomo,

00:26:56 who is the principal chief Woolomo of Osu-stu.

00:27:00 So you need to, once you are passing to somebody's house,

00:27:04 you need to go to the person's house and ask for permission.

00:27:07 - Okay, so that was what you did earlier.

00:27:08 - We went there for the Woolomo to pray for us

00:27:11 so that we'll be a successful procession.

00:27:13 What is going to be any bad or any negative energy

00:27:16 should be drive away.

00:27:18 So we went there to pay homage to the ancestors.

00:27:23 So as you can see, we went to the Woolomo's place

00:27:26 to pray for us so that we can have a successful procession.

00:27:29 - Okay, all right, Ni, I see you have this around your neck.

00:27:31 What does it signify?

00:27:32 And first of all, what's the name of it?

00:27:34 - It's called Isu.

00:27:36 But in the local language, we call it Nyanyina.

00:27:38 - Nyanyina?

00:27:39 - Nyanyina.

00:27:40 - Okay.

00:27:40 - That is called Isu.

00:27:42 We are used to drive away negative energies.

00:27:44 As we process through the township,

00:27:46 we have some bad or negative energies around.

00:27:50 So this is in spirituality,

00:27:52 it's used to drive away negative energies

00:27:54 and also serve as a cleanser for purification.

00:27:59 - We also have Miss Bell here.

00:28:00 Miss Bell, how are you?

00:28:02 - I'm okay.

00:28:04 - So how do you see the whole procession so far?

00:28:06 It just started.

00:28:07 - It's spiritual.

00:28:08 And it's going well, well put together.

00:28:11 - All right, and what is it?

00:28:14 I see you having this one.

00:28:16 Does it mean anything to you?

00:28:19 - It's an African accessory,

00:28:20 but yes, you can put some cleansing spirits in there.

00:28:25 So as we are walking, if the energy doesn't feel right,

00:28:28 you cleanse yourself.

00:28:30 - They have to pour libation.

00:28:32 It is part of tradition that when you get there,

00:28:35 you just have to let them know that you are passing.

00:28:38 And secondly, the fact that maybe something bad

00:28:41 might have happened at that intersection.

00:28:44 - That's why you can see them shaking the bells around.

00:28:47 - So it's also a fun part of invocation and communication.

00:28:51 - Invoking, so communicating with the spirit.

00:28:52 - Exactly, and ancestral work, let's say.

00:28:54 Because as we process,

00:28:56 we don't know any negative energies,

00:28:57 as I said earlier on.

00:28:58 That's why you see them ringing the bells

00:29:01 and doing their stuff.

00:29:03 - We have Annie Saboteur here.

00:29:05 And we just ended with the procession.

00:29:08 What next?

00:29:09 - What next is that the official ceremony has opened.

00:29:13 The paintings are there.

00:29:14 We're gonna have a film lab today.

00:29:16 All the way till 9 p.m.

00:29:19 And it's gonna continue like that.

00:29:20 We have workshops, like we said.

00:29:22 We have DJ mixes.

00:29:23 We have what they call the ensemble music as well.

00:29:26 But for us, it's the intellectual,

00:29:28 what do you call it, exchange between

00:29:31 the experts that we invited with our local artists

00:29:34 to be able to see how their works interact with each other.

00:29:37 - So basically, this is gonna be going on

00:29:39 for like a week long.

00:29:40 The artists would still be here tomorrow to portray the--

00:29:43 - The arts will be here from today,

00:29:45 Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday.

00:29:49 And then Friday night, we take them out.

00:29:51 Some will be here.

00:29:52 - Are there going to be different artists or?

00:29:54 - We have variety of them.

00:29:55 A lot more of the works are still being,

00:29:58 what they call framed.

00:30:00 So when they come, they ask them when you come,

00:30:01 you see a lot of work.

00:30:02 - Clearly, someone watching us right now

00:30:03 wants to know what they should expect tomorrow.

00:30:06 - So tomorrow from 3 p.m. it will be here.

00:30:09 And we start to live music, food,

00:30:12 and then the movies will happen.

00:30:13 - And it will still commence around 3 p.m.

00:30:14 There won't be activities in the morning?

00:30:16 - No, there wouldn't be anything in the morning.

00:30:18 We just want to have people to relax a bit

00:30:20 and come here in the afternoon.

00:30:21 But we also want to tell people

00:30:23 that they can still come for the accreditation.

00:30:25 For vendors who want to vend this year,

00:30:28 we subletted the vending to multimedia

00:30:30 so they can call your channels

00:30:32 and then do business with us, yeah.

00:30:33 - All right, sure.

00:30:34 And that is Anis Sabute.

00:30:36 He's one of the members for the Chalewate Festival.

00:30:38 And so just as you heard from him,

00:30:40 this is the end of the procession

00:30:42 of the day one of the Chalewate Festival.

00:30:45 But it's a week long.

00:30:45 We have Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday,

00:30:48 and of course, Sunday, where it ends.

00:30:51 So you can still be part of the celebration.

00:30:52 You've not been left out yet.

00:30:54 And I can't wait to see you tomorrow

00:30:56 right here at the Osu Castle.

00:30:58 For Joy News, Jacqueline Ansoma-Iyabua.

00:31:01 - And in studio, I am Samuel Kodjoe-Broyson.

00:31:06 That's how we wrap up today's bulletin.

00:31:07 There's more news on myjoyonline.com.

00:31:10 AM News Review is up next.

00:31:12 (dramatic music)

00:31:39 All right, so welcome to the news review segment

00:31:42 of the AM Show.

00:31:43 And my guest this morning is Loya Kweku-Pencil.

00:31:48 And Loya, good morning to you.

00:31:50 I hope all is well.

00:31:52 All right, so I have with me the Daily Guide newspaper.

00:31:59 I have the Finder newspaper.

00:32:01 I have the New Crusading Guide.

00:32:03 And the Economy Times, okay.

00:32:07 Now, on the front page of the Ghanaian Times,

00:32:10 we have centralized registration will deprive Ghanaians.

00:32:15 And I don't want John Mahama drama.

00:32:19 It comes with a photograph of Ms. Bell

00:32:22 and former president John Dromani Mahama.

00:32:26 Now, the banner headline,

00:32:27 60 billion cities was technical loss.

00:32:31 Bank of Ghana fights back.

00:32:33 It comes with a photograph

00:32:34 of the governor, Dr. Ernest Addison.

00:32:37 MPP ready for Saturday.

00:32:40 And it comes with a picture of the vice chairman

00:32:43 of the MPP's Presidential Election Committee,

00:32:46 Kwanabangwa Yeboah.

00:32:48 And NDC stages protest against Addison.

00:32:52 Okay, so we'll get into those papers.

00:32:55 My guest this morning is Loya Kweku-Pencil.

00:32:58 Loya, good morning to you.

00:33:06 Okay, I guess when we get Loya, we'll bring him up.

00:33:11 But let's get into the details of the stories

00:33:14 in the Daily Guide newspaper.

00:33:16 On page three, it says 60 billion cities was technical loss.

00:33:21 And the story is written by Ernest Kofi Edo.

00:33:25 Now, governor of the Bank of Ghana, Dr. Ernest Addison,

00:33:28 has dismissed allegations of central bank mismanagement

00:33:32 that resulted in a 60 billion loss last year.

00:33:36 A setting, the loss is a technical one,

00:33:38 arising from the haircut

00:33:40 and application of accounting standards, okay.

00:33:43 So we'll get into that story.

00:33:45 The Finder reports that 12 SHS to offer aviation

00:33:49 and aerospace courses next year.

00:33:51 Wow.

00:33:53 That's according to the minister, Dr. Ed Duchum.

00:33:57 That'll be an interesting one, isn't it?

00:34:00 Aerospace and aviation.

00:34:03 I can't wait for that to begin.

00:34:05 Now, debts rating off to cause our loss accumulated

00:34:09 since 1992.

00:34:12 That's according to BOG.

00:34:13 Cost of new headquarters not bloated.

00:34:16 $2,068 per square kilometer is competitive.

00:34:22 That's according to the Bank of Ghana.

00:34:24 Oh, okay.

00:34:25 That's how much the land was sold for, huh?

00:34:29 Anyway, MPP outlaws private security

00:34:31 at superdelegates conference.

00:34:33 Government pays 85% of debt owed for suppliers,

00:34:37 according to the NAFCO.

00:34:40 Niger-Ku lets use diplomatic interventions,

00:34:42 Chief Imam says.

00:34:45 That's according to the Finder newspaper.

00:34:48 The New Crusading Guide,

00:34:49 it says the National Cathedral Project

00:34:52 and the Ten Commandments.

00:34:54 That story is on page eight.

00:34:56 You might want to read it.

00:34:58 $250 million, Bank of Ghana head office, Brujaha.

00:35:02 No procurement law was broken.

00:35:05 Governor clairs the air.

00:35:08 Okay.

00:35:09 Family petitions IGP to investigate death

00:35:12 of Maxwell Okoto in Akwetia.

00:35:16 And Ofosun Cancer supports teachers

00:35:19 in Asantea Chem Central.

00:35:21 Adwojiri installs new chief.

00:35:25 And lets live in unity to promote development in Pokiasi.

00:35:30 Okay.

00:35:31 So that story is on the front page

00:35:33 of the New Crusading Guide.

00:35:35 Let me see if I can see what they are reporting on spot.

00:35:39 Ten Man West Ham stun Chelsea at a London stadium.

00:35:43 Okay, so that's an important story.

00:35:44 You might want to read it.

00:35:46 Ten Man West Ham stun Chelsea at a London stadium.

00:35:50 I think I'll take interest in that story

00:35:52 and read a bit of it for you.

00:35:54 Now it says, West Ham United claimed

00:35:56 a rousing London debut win against big spending Chelsea,

00:36:00 despite playing almost 30 minutes with 10 men.

00:36:05 Now the Hammers were 2-1 ahead

00:36:07 when defender Naif Aguard,

00:36:10 who opened the scoring with a seven minute header,

00:36:13 was sent off in the 67th minute

00:36:15 for his second bookable offense.

00:36:17 But Chelsea could not force an equalizer

00:36:19 and then consider a late third

00:36:21 through Lucas Paquete's penalty

00:36:24 in the fifth minute of a dead time.

00:36:27 Okay, so that is the story there.

00:36:30 But there's a Ghanaian story here, which is interesting.

00:36:33 Brighton manager,

00:36:35 deserve be confident in Tyreklantis' return.

00:36:38 So let's look out for that one.

00:36:41 Economy Times, job availability increases by 3.5%.

00:36:45 Hey, that's interesting.

00:36:47 FDI's value rises marginally end 2022.

00:36:51 And Ghana is only ECOWAS country in debt distress.

00:36:54 Oh, according to AFDP.

00:36:57 Oh, that's not a good story, is it?

00:37:00 Now, scarcity of jobs in the country has improved slightly

00:37:05 for the first half of 2023, according to the Bank of Ghana.

00:37:08 For the first two quarters of 2023,

00:37:11 the total number of advertised jobs in the media,

00:37:14 which partially gauges labor demand in the economy,

00:37:18 went up by 3.5% to 16,866,

00:37:25 from 16,290 recorded during the same period in 2022.

00:37:30 The number of jobs advertised increasing June, 2023,

00:37:34 relative to what was observed

00:37:36 in the corresponding period a year ago.

00:37:38 In total, 2,993 job adverts were recorded

00:37:43 as compared to 2,662 for the same period in 2022,

00:37:47 indicating improvement of 12.4% year on year.

00:37:52 Now, to the story about Ghana

00:37:54 being the only country in ECOWAS in debt distress,

00:37:57 it says, and this story is written by Adnan Adams-Mohamed,

00:38:02 "The African Development Bank's newest report,

00:38:05 "the 2023 West Africa Economic Outlook,

00:38:07 "ranked Ghana's external debt to GDP

00:38:11 "to about 39.5% recorded in 2022,

00:38:16 "as 10% higher than the West African average of 29.6%."

00:38:23 Ghana's external debt stood at $29 billion,

00:38:28 as at end of December, 2022,

00:38:33 ranking SIF highest on the continent.

00:38:37 However, countries such as Kiveri, Senegal, and Niger,

00:38:42 that have higher external debts to GDP are not in distress,

00:38:45 but Ghana is the only ECOWAS country in debt distress.

00:38:50 Quote, "West Africa's external debt increased

00:38:54 "from an average of 13.8% of GDP in 2014 to,"

00:38:59 okay, okay, so the story continues on page four,

00:39:06 and it says, "to 29.6% in 2022.

00:39:10 "The debt accumulation was facilitated

00:39:12 "by a rise in the issuance of Eurobond.

00:39:15 "Eurobond have been issued by Cote d'Ivoire,

00:39:17 "Ghana, Nigeria, and Senegal since 2011,

00:39:19 "and by Benin since 2019.

00:39:21 "The West Africa Economic Outlook 2022."

00:39:24 So that is the story there with regards to Ghana

00:39:30 being the only ECOWAS country in debt distress.

00:39:34 Very, very interesting there.

00:39:36 Now, the story about FDI's value rising marginally in 2020

00:39:40 says, "Foreign Direct Investment, FDIs,

00:39:42 "legally registered in a country

00:39:44 "have increased slightly in value,

00:39:46 "but declined marginally in volumes

00:39:48 "at the end of December 2022,

00:39:50 "according to figures from the

00:39:51 "Ghana Investment Promotion Center, GIPC.

00:39:54 "From January to December 2022,

00:39:56 "the center recorded foreign direct investment

00:39:58 "totaling 1.35 billion US dollars.

00:40:02 "This compares with a slightly lower figure

00:40:05 "of approximately 1.29 billion US dollars recorded in 2021,

00:40:10 "representing an increase of 4.22%."

00:40:14 Okay, so Dr. Loya Kweku-Pintil is now with us,

00:40:19 joining us via phone.

00:40:21 Loya, good morning to you.

00:40:22 Transol as well.

00:40:23 Hello, Loya.

00:40:27 - Yes.

00:40:29 - Great to have you.

00:40:30 Now-- - Thank you.

00:40:32 - Let's begin from the daily guide.

00:40:34 - Yes.

00:40:35 - It says the 60 billion cities that was lost by the BOG

00:40:40 was a technical loss.

00:40:42 The details are that the governor of the Bank of Ghana,

00:40:45 Dr. Enes Adesun, has dismissed allegations

00:40:49 of central bank mismanagement

00:40:51 that resulted in a 60 billion cities loss last year,

00:40:56 asserting that the loss is a technical one,

00:40:59 arising from the haircut

00:41:01 and application of accounting standards.

00:41:04 His defense followed criticism from some Ghanaians,

00:41:07 including the leader of the opposition

00:41:09 National Democratic Congress,

00:41:11 John Romani Mahama,

00:41:12 who referred to him as a, quote,

00:41:15 "pliant governor," unquote,

00:41:17 seeking to cover up his mismanagement.

00:41:20 Quote again, "An incompetent finance minister

00:41:23 damages the economy and uses COVID-19

00:41:26 and Ukraine-Russia war as cover-ups.

00:41:29 A pliant governor destroys the central bank

00:41:31 and seeks to use the domestic debt exchange

00:41:33 as a cover," unquote.

00:41:36 The NDC flag bearer asserted.

00:41:38 The minority leader, Dr. K. Salato-Forsen,

00:41:39 also called for his immediate resignation,

00:41:42 as well as his deputies.

00:41:43 Dr. Adesun, on the other hand,

00:41:45 has rejected the claims of mismanagement,

00:41:48 pointing out that the loss recorded by the central bank

00:41:51 is a technical one, resulting from the haircut

00:41:54 and the application of accounting standards,

00:41:56 IFRS 9, to estimate expected credit losses

00:42:00 over the tenor of the government debt held by the bank.

00:42:05 Loya, isn't his explanation, you know, meaningful enough?

00:42:10 - The explanation is, with respect, a little funny.

00:42:16 Because, see, at the end of the day, a loss is a loss.

00:42:20 - Okay.

00:42:21 - Whether it's technical, commercial, economic,

00:42:24 it's a loss to the country.

00:42:25 And the real issue is whether those losses were even avoided.

00:42:30 - Okay.

00:42:31 - I believe that's what the debate is about.

00:42:32 It's not the name that we give to the loss.

00:42:35 It's about whether those losses could have been avoided,

00:42:39 or somehow scaled down, or somehow,

00:42:43 I mean, one way or the other.

00:42:46 And, you know, these are some of the issues

00:42:48 that come up in this country,

00:42:49 and we try to dismiss them,

00:42:52 and then make it like non-issues.

00:42:55 But they are not, they cannot go away.

00:42:57 If we are running around the World Bank

00:42:59 and other places looking for $3 billion,

00:43:02 which lasted for about how many months,

00:43:04 with conditions and whatever,

00:43:06 what it means is that we could have avoided

00:43:09 the World Bank's damage to begin with.

00:43:12 And if somebody had done something right somewhere,

00:43:16 possibly we would be in a better state.

00:43:19 You know, so, these kind of issues,

00:43:21 they call for dispassionate discussions.

00:43:23 And if our parliament itself was working well,

00:43:27 I mean, this calls for some parliamentary inquiries,

00:43:30 very, very serious inquiries into these matters

00:43:33 to make a determination whether indeed the losses,

00:43:36 however they call it, were justified.

00:43:39 And somebody has to be, has trouble.

00:43:42 And that's my view of this matter.

00:43:44 We don't want to leave these things.

00:43:45 We just always leave it, make it partisan discussions,

00:43:48 and at the end of the day, I mean, everybody forgets it.

00:43:51 They will go to the next level of loss,

00:43:53 the next level of corruption, the next level of this.

00:43:56 I think we have tired too much in this country,

00:43:58 having these matters become non-issues,

00:44:01 and they will keep on running around

00:44:02 like we don't know what we are doing.

00:44:04 So that's my view about this matter.

00:44:06 It's not a small matter.

00:44:09 It's not something that might be,

00:44:10 what, it will be covered up and then we all forget it.

00:44:13 It cannot be.

00:44:15 So the parliamentarians, they know better

00:44:16 and they know what to do.

00:44:17 You know, these are issues that people

00:44:20 ought to come to parliament.

00:44:21 Questions ought to be put, and people must answer them.

00:44:25 And committees must be set up.

00:44:27 It is not small loss, though.

00:44:28 It's not a small loss at all.

00:44:30 And nobody must joke with it.

00:44:31 - So what's your expectation of how this development

00:44:37 must be treated?

00:44:38 And can you mute your Zoom for me

00:44:39 so that we pick what's happening on the phone?

00:44:41 - No, I believe we must set up a parliamentary inquiry,

00:44:44 a very serious parliamentary inquiry.

00:44:46 Must investigate all aspects of this loss

00:44:49 and a clear determination made whether it was avoidable,

00:44:52 whether health must rule somewhere.

00:44:54 And this is not going to come about

00:44:55 from the demonstrations that they are calling.

00:44:58 Demonstration's a political show.

00:45:00 Nothing's gonna come out of it.

00:45:01 You say the man must resign.

00:45:03 When he resigns, does that money come back to our coffee?

00:45:05 Is that a issue?

00:45:07 I believe it's a much more serious issue than demonstration.

00:45:10 That's my own view of this matter.

00:45:11 So a parliamentary inquiry must be set up

00:45:14 concerning this matter.

00:45:16 A dispersing discussion must be had

00:45:19 and an all-round parliamentary investment going to it.

00:45:21 That's my view of this matter.

00:45:23 I think the press conference, they are joking.

00:45:26 Joking, not joking.

00:45:28 Joking.

00:45:29 - Okay, can you unmute your Zoom for me

00:45:33 so we can hear what you tell us through the Al-Azhar.

00:45:37 - Yeah, is that okay?

00:45:40 - Okay, so I'll check it.

00:45:41 But in relation to that story,

00:45:45 NDC stages protest against Addison.

00:45:47 The NDC minority in parliament

00:45:49 has written to the Greater Accra Regional Police Command

00:45:51 to notify them of an impending protest match

00:45:54 against Dr. Ernest Addison,

00:45:56 governor of the Bank of Ghana, on this development.

00:46:00 Is that what you are referring as, as they being jokers?

00:46:04 - I mean, we don't have a protest,

00:46:09 can I go on demonstration?

00:46:11 And then what?

00:46:12 And if he resigns, and then what?

00:46:14 Does that resolve the issue?

00:46:16 It's a much more serious issue than they're making it seem.

00:46:19 Very, very serious issue.

00:46:21 So therefore, this matter is going to be resolved

00:46:24 by somebody going on demonstration.

00:46:26 I'm not denying their right to go on demonstration,

00:46:30 if they so wish, but I'm saying that

00:46:32 this issue is much more serious,

00:46:34 and requires a much more serious approach

00:46:37 than merely embarking on a demonstration

00:46:40 to enforce his resignation.

00:46:42 It's not the resignation that will resolve,

00:46:44 it may be part of so many things,

00:46:46 but the real truth is that,

00:46:48 please, they are our law makers.

00:46:51 You see, that's the very interesting thing.

00:46:53 People who make laws for us,

00:46:54 people who know how to make investigations,

00:46:57 people who ought to know what to do,

00:46:59 will rather embark on a demonstration,

00:47:02 and cause chaos and confusion wherever in town,

00:47:05 and then in one month's time, this matter lies,

00:47:07 and then that's the end of it.

00:47:09 And we go back to wherever we all came from,

00:47:11 and continue to behave like nothing happened.

00:47:15 That's what is happening, that's the history

00:47:17 of all of these matters in this country,

00:47:19 and therefore, at the end of the day,

00:47:20 nobody's held accountable.

00:47:23 What is a resignation?

00:47:24 A resignation will resolve this matter.

00:47:26 - Okay, let's relate it to a story in the Finder.

00:47:32 It says, "Cost of new headquarters not bloated,

00:47:35 "$2,068 per square kilometer is competitive."

00:47:40 Now, the Bank of Ghana has rejected accusations

00:47:44 that a cost of its headquarters

00:47:45 and the construction is inflated,

00:47:47 and the story is in the Finder newspaper.

00:47:50 Now, according to the regulator,

00:47:52 the $2,068 per square kilometer cost of the project

00:47:56 compares favorably with data from the

00:47:59 Africa Property and Construction Cost Guide 2021-2022's

00:48:04 $2,658 per square kilometer,

00:48:08 and 2022-2023 cost of 2,720 per square kilometer

00:48:13 has average construction cost

00:48:15 for prestige high-rise office spaces in Africa.

00:48:20 The BOG pointed out that even though the comparable data

00:48:23 from the Africa Property and Construction Cost Guide

00:48:27 relates to prestige high-rise office spaces,

00:48:29 the unique features of a central bank,

00:48:31 including vaults and security installations,

00:48:35 rank higher than the considerations for the former.

00:48:38 Conspicuously, BOG failed to provide the total cost

00:48:41 of the reviewed project to the bank,

00:48:43 the $215 million cost in the public domain.

00:48:47 What do you make of this explanation,

00:48:51 that if you look at the guide,

00:48:53 we are paying $2,068 as compared to 2,720

00:48:58 for prestige high-rise in Africa?

00:49:02 - They say prestige high-rise in Africa,

00:49:06 nowhere else, Africa.

00:49:09 You know, corruption is highest in Africa

00:49:11 than anywhere else in the world.

00:49:13 The popular perception,

00:49:16 and unfortunately some of this is seen into reality.

00:49:19 The popular perception is that the cost of properties

00:49:23 that are done in Africa by government, not private people,

00:49:27 I hope that the comparative cost analysis

00:49:30 that they were making would be related to private projects.

00:49:34 Government projects are much more expensive

00:49:38 in Africa, in Ghana.

00:49:40 I mean, the kind of money that sometimes we hear

00:49:42 is unimaginable, and sometimes you begin to wonder

00:49:46 if the same amount was in the hands of somebody else

00:49:50 in any way apart from Africa,

00:49:52 whether we'll be getting the kind of thing.

00:49:54 And you see, this is to us no good.

00:49:56 That's why my honest view,

00:49:58 all of these things must be contextualized.

00:50:01 This whole thing has been played within the context

00:50:03 of the banks of Ghana's received mismanagement

00:50:07 of public funds or public resources.

00:50:10 And therefore, it's my honest view that

00:50:12 if our parliamentarians took a serious view of this matter

00:50:15 and decided to set up a parliamentary inquiry of a sort,

00:50:19 then all of these matters can properly be interrogated

00:50:22 or properly be investigated or properly analyzed and assessed.

00:50:26 I mean, other than that, what we are doing,

00:50:28 you know, we are messing with these answers.

00:50:31 They may be true, but they may also be untrue.

00:50:34 So the real truth of this matter,

00:50:37 how do you go about this matter?

00:50:39 Set up a proper inquiry.

00:50:41 This money, you know, over the last year or two,

00:50:44 I mean, because of social media,

00:50:47 I noticed some comparisons that were being made

00:50:51 between our Kusuka Airport and an airport,

00:50:54 I think, in Eastern Africa, and how,

00:50:56 you know, these things, they come and they are true,

00:50:59 and they begin to answer and say, "What happened?"

00:51:01 The perception out there is that

00:51:04 the politicians have a real bloating.

00:51:06 The word is bloat, B-L-O-A-T.

00:51:09 That is to say, they are all kind of things,

00:51:13 if you think, so at the end of the day,

00:51:15 nobody takes money, who'd also have bought

00:51:17 a Mercedes Benz car, at the end of the day,

00:51:19 he brings a Toyota, and when there still becomes an issue,

00:51:22 he tells you that the Toyota also not a car,

00:51:25 but that is misleading.

00:51:27 The issue is not whether we set out to buy a car,

00:51:30 but a particular car.

00:51:32 The money that we say we use it for this particular project,

00:51:35 is it truly, could it have been less?

00:51:38 Could it even have been halfway?

00:51:40 Or what did we do really to ensure that

00:51:42 we got value for what we asked for?

00:51:44 Which is all what public procurement is about,

00:51:47 value for money.

00:51:49 And if you put 300,000 to buy something which is 50,000,

00:51:53 I mean, come on, you do exercise your discretion well.

00:51:56 You know, so, maybe we've got a long way to go,

00:51:59 but my honest view of this issue goes back

00:52:02 to my first remark, which is that,

00:52:05 let there be a proper inquiry into this matter.

00:52:08 Parliament know what to do,

00:52:09 if they really feel serious about this matter.

00:52:11 They know what to do.

00:52:12 Nobody's gonna take us for a ride

00:52:14 and make us believe they're going on demonstration

00:52:17 and asking the governor to resign,

00:52:20 who will answer for us the real issues at stake.

00:52:22 Thank you.

00:52:25 - All right, let's turn to a rather inspiring story.

00:52:30 Now, beginning next academic year,

00:52:32 12 senior high schools will offer courses

00:52:35 in aviation and aerospace.

00:52:38 Dr. Yawase Edutun, Minister of Education has announced.

00:52:42 The initiative, according to him,

00:52:43 forms part of efforts to promote science,

00:52:46 technology, engineering, and mathematics education

00:52:49 in the country to enable Ghanaian students

00:52:51 to compete in the fourth industrial revolution.

00:52:54 The ministry announced this at the Fiyakobe

00:52:56 and Pemgeos Senior High School,

00:52:58 which is credited as the first SHS in Ghana

00:53:00 to have developed a miniature airplane

00:53:03 as part of its engineering exploits.

00:53:07 But this is good news, isn't it?

00:53:08 How do we ensure that we succeed at this,

00:53:11 to ensure we have 12 senior high schools

00:53:14 implementing aerospace and aviation courses

00:53:16 at the senior high school level?

00:53:18 - I think it's a very, very laudable idea.

00:53:22 How to make it work would be the work

00:53:24 of the technical people.

00:53:26 But it appears that our education has been stereotyped.

00:53:30 Our education has always been the old thing.

00:53:32 We have always been behind our education.

00:53:36 I remember way, way, way, way back,

00:53:38 I mean, about 1972, there were about,

00:53:41 science was not even available in our elementary schools.

00:53:44 They were not available.

00:53:45 You go to secondary school,

00:53:46 and the first time that somebody's talking about science,

00:53:49 and you begin to wonder what is science,

00:53:50 and they teach you science.

00:53:52 It's the steady, the careful state of things around us.

00:53:55 Way, way back in those days,

00:53:56 we didn't know science.

00:53:58 We used to go to secondary school.

00:53:59 So I'm quite elated by the suggestion

00:54:02 that this type of education is going to be offered

00:54:05 at this level, and we hope that as it starts,

00:54:08 and as it develops, hopefully in some few years to come,

00:54:12 we also become competitive.

00:54:14 I mean, an aspect of our education will be gentle,

00:54:16 because that's what the next level of development

00:54:19 and everything is going.

00:54:21 And as we can see, there is a rise into space

00:54:24 for all kinds of things.

00:54:25 Well, for us, I do not know.

00:54:27 You know, we've always had the atomic energy

00:54:30 in the since 1960s,

00:54:32 and I don't even know whether it's gonna compete

00:54:35 with countries with that type of facility.

00:54:39 So it's not just that thing,

00:54:41 but how we're able to move that level of education

00:54:45 to our national development, and so forth and so on.

00:54:48 So I do not know really the technical details,

00:54:51 but I can only commend the minister for his hard work

00:54:56 and hope that something really good comes out of this.

00:54:59 Because I know, for instance, that over the few years,

00:55:02 there's something called STEM education.

00:55:05 STEM education.

00:55:06 I know it is working.

00:55:07 They have set it up, except that, I think,

00:55:10 what they have are pilot projects that they are doing

00:55:13 in the hope that they will spread it all over the country

00:55:16 after some few years.

00:55:17 But from what I've heard so far,

00:55:19 I think they are working successfully.

00:55:21 And if this thing is added,

00:55:23 I'm sure it's another layer of that development

00:55:26 of our education system.

00:55:28 So I have nothing but commendation.

00:55:30 - But, you know, in the implementation process,

00:55:34 you know, in this country, we all have fantastic ideas.

00:55:38 But when it comes to implementation,

00:55:39 that's where the challenge is.

00:55:41 So for it not to suffer the fate of project

00:55:43 that we've had in this country,

00:55:47 what are the steps that we need to take

00:55:49 to ensure that we are having an effective implementation

00:55:53 of such a fantastic idea?

00:55:55 - Well, I believe we have the,

00:55:57 I mean, I cannot speak directly to this point,

00:56:00 but I believe we've got the technical men,

00:56:01 in other words, the technical people.

00:56:03 The Minister of Education has got all the facilities,

00:56:06 has got all the people.

00:56:08 Our universities have the resources.

00:56:10 I'm talking about human resources.

00:56:12 I'm talking about personnel who are driving this project.

00:56:16 And that's about it.

00:56:18 How holistic it will be and how effective it will be,

00:56:22 I'm just assuming for the purpose of our discussion

00:56:25 that they've got everything on the drawing board

00:56:27 and possibly when it takes off,

00:56:30 we'll be able to assess it from afar,

00:56:32 from wherever we find ourselves,

00:56:33 and be able to assess it,

00:56:35 maybe on some regular basis,

00:56:38 to determine whether we are making the right thing.

00:56:40 But what happens is that we have people,

00:56:44 or rather technical people who are bound in this country,

00:56:48 but sometimes putting them together to achieve results

00:56:52 is also part of the problem that we have in this country.

00:56:55 It's like, let me show you my own reflection

00:56:57 of how I see a lot of things in this country.

00:56:59 You see, it is the MPP government which is in power.

00:57:02 And the politics that we run in this country

00:57:06 appears to be like,

00:57:07 oh, if this is an MPP project,

00:57:09 then let them go on with it.

00:57:11 However educated, however knowledgeable some professor

00:57:15 who subscribes to the other party is,

00:57:18 then he may not be part of it.

00:57:19 Because being part of MPP success story

00:57:22 will somehow influence or affect their own politics.

00:57:27 It's just part of the problem we have in this country.

00:57:29 I'm not saying that it is responsible for the particular,

00:57:32 but I've seen this work out in so many ways in this country.

00:57:36 So maybe I'm speaking to somebody who has the knowledge,

00:57:39 who has the technical know-how,

00:57:41 but somehow feels alienated from the politics of the MPP,

00:57:46 and therefore have resolved

00:57:49 that he will never be part of it.

00:57:51 Because it's only when we come together as a country

00:57:54 that we can put in things and proceed.

00:57:57 And I need to say this,

00:57:59 even though the question they ask me is a harmless question.

00:58:02 Let me put it this way.

00:58:03 You know, government, we are so polarized.

00:58:06 The word is polarized.

00:58:07 I love political lines.

00:58:09 But it affects the influences and everything that we do.

00:58:14 And I'm calling on people to look up.

00:58:16 Last time I gave this example on this, listen.

00:58:19 Even in countries, I mean, look at Israel, look at Brazil.

00:58:23 Look at, when they go on demonstrations,

00:58:25 they don't use party flags.

00:58:26 They use the national flag,

00:58:28 showing that the people who are concerned with it

00:58:32 have got nothing to do with politics,

00:58:34 got nothing to do with party politics.

00:58:36 They come together because it's a national interest

00:58:39 that they are defending.

00:58:40 And this, everything must be divided into straight lines

00:58:44 as to who joins what queue and so forth and so on.

00:58:48 It affects our politics.

00:58:50 Because somebody believes that if a politician comes on board

00:58:53 he has seen to be a part of the implementation

00:58:56 of this particular project,

00:58:58 and he does not belong to the party,

00:58:59 he's all party people who call him names and stuff.

00:59:03 - Okay.

00:59:04 - Yes.

00:59:05 - Okay.

00:59:06 All right.

00:59:07 If you can do this for me in a minute, I'll be happy.

00:59:10 Now on page three of the Economic Times,

00:59:15 there's a story there.

00:59:17 Soaring food energy prices

00:59:19 push 15 million Africans into poverty.

00:59:23 Now some 15 million people in Africa

00:59:25 were pushed into poverty in 2022

00:59:26 due to high food and energy prices.

00:59:29 The African Development Bank has reported.

00:59:31 However, the bank indicated that the poverty effect

00:59:34 of energy price increases was higher than food prices.

00:59:38 This was because the energy impact was fully passed

00:59:41 through household income,

00:59:42 while the negative impact of high food prices

00:59:45 was partially offset by increases

00:59:47 in household income from net sellers.

00:59:50 Quote, "In Africa, the additional number of people

00:59:53 "falling into extreme poverty

00:59:54 "due to energy price inflation is estimated at 10.2 million,

00:59:58 "bringing the combined poverty effect

01:00:00 "of soaring food and energy prices

01:00:02 "to about 15 million people," the bank noted.

01:00:06 Your reaction in just a minute.

01:00:07 - Yeah, I said I should speak in a minute.

01:00:09 You know, the Bible just said,

01:00:11 "Ask for the poor,

01:00:12 "we shall continue to help them with you."

01:00:14 There will always be poor,

01:00:15 there will always be people who will be pushed into poverty.

01:00:17 By the end of it, it's about what the government said does.

01:00:20 I can solely believe that the energy prices

01:00:23 that we pay for, we are not paying for efficiency.

01:00:25 Half of the things that we pay for

01:00:27 is due to inefficient operation

01:00:30 of all of these things that we have around us.

01:00:32 So at the end of the day,

01:00:34 what we pay for in the university,

01:00:35 school, I swear it'll be 40,

01:00:37 we'll be, I swear it'll be 50 cities.

01:00:38 But here, I mean, that's the way it is.

01:00:40 And we absorb all of these things

01:00:42 as part of the cost that they push onto us.

01:00:44 So it's all about efficiency.

01:00:46 I personally believe that if our public institutions,

01:00:49 I mean, in electricity corporation,

01:00:51 in particular that we're talking about,

01:00:53 it may become more efficient,

01:00:54 possibly we'll be paying for less.

01:00:56 So that's the way I just wanna add this one.

01:00:58 But like I said, I mean,

01:01:00 the poor will always be with us

01:01:02 and there are people who still don't have electricity

01:01:05 because they themselves do not know how to rise up.

01:01:08 Maybe they want free electricity like free education,

01:01:11 but free education has come.

01:01:12 I don't know whether free electricity will ever come.

01:01:14 (laughing)

01:01:16 - Yes. - All right.

01:01:17 Loya, I'm grateful to you for joining us here.

01:01:21 All the best for the morning.

01:01:22 - You're welcome.

01:01:23 - That's Loya Kweku-Pinsel there.

01:01:26 And that's how we wrap up the review.

01:01:29 We're grateful to our sponsor.

01:01:31 But before I go, good morning to Nana Kwesi-Cumson.

01:01:34 Today's your birthday.

01:01:35 Nana is the PRO for the Western Music Awards

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01:01:42 Nana Kwesi-Cumson, happy birthday to you, brother.

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01:01:46 You know you're a great guy,

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01:01:58 Yesterday was your birthday,

01:01:59 a blessed, belated birthday to you as well.

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01:02:05 We'll take a quick break.

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01:02:54 Well, we'll take a quick break.

01:02:55 Stay with us.

01:02:56 Up next is sports.

01:02:58 (dramatic music)

01:03:02 (dramatic music)

01:03:04 - Good morning to the world of sports now on the AM show.

01:03:30 I am Muftahu Nabila Abda, the Ghana Football Association.

01:03:34 Presidential aspirants appeared before the vetting committee

01:03:37 ahead of the organization of the football governing bodies

01:03:40 elective Congress on September 27.

01:03:43 President Keto Okreku, who is seeking tenure

01:03:47 from the stakeholders within the Ghana Football Association

01:03:51 says that he's very confident when he's presented

01:03:55 to the committee, will be accepted and approved

01:03:58 for him to have his name appear on the ballot paper.

01:04:02 - Just gone through our vetting.

01:04:06 The vetting, obviously, is a statutory requirement

01:04:12 and I mean, put together by the elections committee,

01:04:18 which is an independent committee of the FA.

01:04:21 And each one of us, obviously, will have to go through.

01:04:24 I would say that it was good.

01:04:27 There were lots of questions for my good self.

01:04:31 But basically, it's about the statutory provisions

01:04:36 on your forms, whether indeed you signed the forms,

01:04:42 whether you have met the statutory requirements

01:04:46 on the form, i.e. the member who proposed you

01:04:51 and the five required members

01:04:56 who are needed to support your application.

01:05:00 And then, obviously, you have to go through

01:05:03 the integrity session, whether you've made

01:05:08 your tax returns, so if you don't pay your tax,

01:05:13 you're in trouble.

01:05:14 And whether you've not made any false declaration

01:05:20 whatsoever in relation to this opening.

01:05:24 So I think that it was smooth.

01:05:27 I'm very confident that given what I shared,

01:05:32 I'll go through successfully.

01:05:33 And then we'll be ready for the elections.

01:05:38 Like I say all the time, football will always speak.

01:05:43 And today, football has spoken.

01:05:47 And football will speak on the 27th of September.

01:05:52 - Now let's hear from George Efre.

01:05:55 He's been eulogizing the members of the committee

01:05:58 headed by Bernard Ashali.

01:06:00 And he says that many have suggested

01:06:03 he was going to be disqualified from contesting

01:06:06 for the position of president

01:06:07 of the Ghana Football Association

01:06:09 with the integrity of members of the committee

01:06:12 he's confident that he will go through.

01:06:14 - The integrity of the person or the gentleman

01:06:19 in the committee are very high.

01:06:24 I personally before going into this voting

01:06:28 did a background check on them.

01:06:30 And I realized that these are people

01:06:35 who do their job diligently.

01:06:38 These are people who don't have any personal

01:06:40 hidden agendas.

01:06:42 In spite of some of the things that I've heard

01:06:45 before going into this voting,

01:06:47 I'm sure it was already out there

01:06:49 that you will be disqualified.

01:06:51 I mean, you are the media, you've heard it several times.

01:06:54 But I believe in them.

01:06:56 The questions were normal questions was about football.

01:07:00 And as you're already aware,

01:07:02 this is not the first time I've gone through voting.

01:07:05 This is my fifth voting.

01:07:07 I've done voting when I first contested

01:07:10 for the executive committee position.

01:07:13 I've done voting from 2005 all the way down.

01:07:18 And in 2019, I went through voting.

01:07:21 So voting is normal.

01:07:22 And it was an engagement.

01:07:24 I mean, these were questions related to football.

01:07:29 And to me, I answer the questions

01:07:33 to the best of my ability.

01:07:35 And I think that I've given them an insight,

01:07:39 very insightful conversation.

01:07:41 And the rest is left to them to do their job.

01:07:46 - To athletics now.

01:07:47 And let's hear from Ghana's record long jump athlete,

01:07:50 Deborah Akwa.

01:07:51 She says that jumping 6.50,

01:07:55 which is less than what she did at a Commonwealth Games

01:07:58 about a year ago,

01:07:59 where she jumped 6.94 meters to win a bronze medal,

01:08:03 was due to the fact that she's been nursing an injury

01:08:07 since the World Athletics Championships in Oregon last year.

01:08:11 According to her,

01:08:13 members of the Ghana Olympic Committee

01:08:16 had promised to help her with treatment,

01:08:18 but unfortunately, the help never came.

01:08:21 And she says the jump of 6.50 was expected from her.

01:08:26 - I think my performance, even though it wasn't expected,

01:08:32 I was expecting a good result.

01:08:34 Even though it wasn't expected, I was expecting it.

01:08:38 Like, not to say that I wasn't,

01:08:41 like I wasn't prepared to do whatever that happened,

01:08:44 you know, yesterday,

01:08:45 but looking at the whole of last year,

01:08:49 coming into this year with this whole injury,

01:08:52 no help coming from anybody, you know,

01:08:56 like it was very challenging

01:08:57 'cause I ended up having to take care of my own self,

01:09:02 spending money on this same injury,

01:09:05 and then still not, you know, seeing any improvement.

01:09:10 So I decided not to, I decided to call it a quit.

01:09:13 Like I decided to not come to the World Champs

01:09:17 'cause it got to a point where it was both my Achilles.

01:09:21 So I had to talk with my coach,

01:09:24 and then he was like,

01:09:26 he think I should, you know, get a season over it.

01:09:29 And then I got to a point

01:09:31 where it was just one Achilles.

01:09:32 So I was like, okay, I think I can make, you know,

01:09:34 if one is okay, then I should be able to get the other one.

01:09:38 But then it still wasn't working.

01:09:40 So I was like, okay, then I had to call it a quit.

01:09:42 So I was out of practice for like a month

01:09:45 and then came back.

01:09:46 I still wasn't seeing any improvement.

01:09:49 So I was like, okay, you know what?

01:09:51 I think I should listen to the coaches.

01:09:53 I did, and I had to come back again.

01:09:57 It was still the same.

01:09:58 So at this point, I was like, you know,

01:09:59 the season's almost, you know, close to an end.

01:10:02 So I should just come and then do what I can do.

01:10:04 So that was my best.

01:10:06 - That was her best, she says.

01:10:09 Later today is a final of the 1,500 meters

01:10:13 and Kenya's faith keeps you going.

01:10:15 Who is a defending champion of that.

01:10:17 And also she broke three world records

01:10:21 in the space of two months

01:10:22 before the World Athletics Championship.

01:10:25 The 1,500 meters where she did a sub three

01:10:28 and also the 5,000 meters as well as the mile.

01:10:32 Now she says that she's looking forward to lifting gold.

01:10:36 Her focus is not just on records,

01:10:38 but also lifting the ultimate crown,

01:10:41 which is the gold medal.

01:10:42 - I feel good.

01:10:44 I'm happy to qualify to the final.

01:10:46 And I'm looking forward.

01:10:50 - You get to defend your title.

01:10:51 There are other people coming for your title.

01:10:53 What's the competition like out there?

01:10:56 - It's not easy.

01:10:57 It's a very tough competition

01:10:58 and everybody just comes here to execute

01:11:01 and get that gold medal.

01:11:02 And for me, I just hope for the best

01:11:06 to defend my title and run a beautiful race.

01:11:10 - I mean, would you say this is probably the best year

01:11:14 in your career in terms of the way you feel?

01:11:16 'Cause with all these records you're breaking

01:11:18 and now should we be looking forward

01:11:19 to maybe you bettering the previous world record?

01:11:22 - Yeah, for me, this is all about the championship.

01:11:25 Yeah, it's not all about the world record.

01:11:27 It's all about the gold medal

01:11:28 and that is what all athletes are coming for.

01:11:32 So for me, it's just to be myself and run my best.

01:11:36 - First time you'll be doubling

01:11:38 and you know that you've not done it before.

01:11:39 Do you think it's a big risk to final tomorrow?

01:11:42 Are you looking towards the 5,000?

01:11:44 - For me, my own focus is into 1,500.

01:11:47 I don't focus as much before the 1,500.

01:11:50 So after the 1,500, we will see what is possible.

01:11:54 I know I'm doubling, but just to finish in 1,500.

01:11:57 - For gold?

01:11:58 (laughs)

01:11:59 - I don't know.

01:12:00 Let's see how the race will be.

01:12:03 - Has Aline told you that you need

01:12:04 to bring two gold medals home?

01:12:05 What has she told you?

01:12:07 - She told me first to execute in 1,500

01:12:10 and see what will be possible.

01:12:12 Yeah.

01:12:13 - And Faith, why do you think you're running faster now?

01:12:15 I mean, you've been running this event all this while.

01:12:17 Why do you think you're running faster this year?

01:12:19 - I think because of training.

01:12:22 I did my training knowing that there's still big fish

01:12:25 ahead of us, which was this World Championship.

01:12:27 And that's big discipline in what I do.

01:12:31 Yeah.

01:12:31 - Faith Kipiodende speaking,

01:12:36 and she's going to be flying high the flag of Kenya

01:12:40 when the 1,500 meters gets underway later today.

01:12:45 But now let's hear from Olympic champion,

01:12:48 Marseille Jacobs.

01:12:48 Since the last Olympics in Tokyo,

01:12:50 he's not been himself.

01:12:53 After running 9.80 meters to win a gold medal

01:12:56 in the Tokyo Olympics, he's never actually competed

01:12:59 in the final of a major athletic competition.

01:13:02 He says many people are talking trash

01:13:06 and that he claims has gotten to him psychologically.

01:13:09 - I'm not scared, I'm here.

01:13:12 I want to compete.

01:13:13 You know, no competition this year.

01:13:16 It's really difficult to arrive here

01:13:17 from the World Championship.

01:13:20 We rehearsed semifinal, but I'm happy to be here.

01:13:23 - And do you know what?

01:13:25 You say that a lot of people talk,

01:13:27 sometimes it's not kind.

01:13:29 So what are you doing to protect your mental health?

01:13:31 Because I know it can't be easy.

01:13:33 - Yeah, it's not easy.

01:13:34 Because, you know, I think the other guy know

01:13:38 what difficulty is when you are a problem.

01:13:42 You are a difficulty, you have an injury.

01:13:43 But they like to talk too much, but it's okay.

01:13:47 I try to focus on myself to recover faster

01:13:50 and try to beat them when I'm in good shape.

01:13:52 - I love that.

01:13:54 So what positives are you going to take from being here,

01:13:57 being in Budapest?

01:13:58 You know, what positive you're going to take now

01:14:00 going forward on this journey?

01:14:01 - Oh, the positive thing is I'm here.

01:14:04 I'm here, I compete.

01:14:06 I'm in a good shape, not really good shape

01:14:08 because I'm not the real me, but I compete.

01:14:11 This is important.

01:14:12 Now we have the relay, we are the Olympic champion.

01:14:15 We have to take the final and try to do the best.

01:14:19 And of course my season not finish here.

01:14:21 I want to try to go to another diamond league in China

01:14:25 or try to take the points for Eugene for the final

01:14:28 and go with these guys and beat them.

01:14:32 - I'm still on athletics and Côte d'Ivoire's Ahuri Dance.

01:14:40 She says this year's World Athletics Championship

01:14:43 is the worst of her career

01:14:44 because she failed to make it to the final

01:14:47 of the competition.

01:14:48 - Absolutely shocked and devastated.

01:14:53 This is probably the worst championship of my entire career.

01:14:57 I don't even understand how it happened.

01:15:02 You know, I'm trying to be run back through the race.

01:15:07 I know my start was not good.

01:15:08 I know that my transition was not where it was supposed to be

01:15:11 so because of that I didn't set myself up properly

01:15:15 for me to be able to make it through.

01:15:16 So I will have to go back with my coach and sit down

01:15:19 and you know, look at the tape

01:15:23 and then see everything that happened.

01:15:24 It's not the end of the world.

01:15:26 Yes, this year has been probably the hardest year

01:15:29 in my entire career.

01:15:31 And I'm, of course, I'm a competitor.

01:15:32 I want to win.

01:15:33 I want to fight.

01:15:34 You know, you guys will always see me fighting.

01:15:36 So this is not the end of the world.

01:15:38 It's okay.

01:15:40 Of course for me, it's not okay,

01:15:41 but I have to move on and get my,

01:15:45 refocus my mind now for the 4x1

01:15:47 because we have a huge, huge job to do.

01:15:50 You know, we are the only African nation in this relay.

01:15:54 So it is so important for me, you know,

01:15:57 as the captain to gather my sisters.

01:16:00 You know, even if it didn't work for me, it's okay.

01:16:02 You know, I'm strong.

01:16:04 I want my sisters to be able to do well,

01:16:06 to continue so that we can all be strong

01:16:09 and come back stronger for this 4x1.

01:16:11 And hopefully, you know,

01:16:13 God willing, make history for Africa.

01:16:15 - This will wrap up AM Sports here with me,

01:16:18 Mufti Awanabila Abdoulaye.

01:16:20 (intense music)

01:16:23,

01:16:47 All right, welcome back.

01:16:49 Let's do our, you know, our big stories now.

01:16:54 And the Upper East region is something

01:16:57 that they've been going through a lot of issues.

01:16:59 For example, elephantiasis is a huge issue.

01:17:02 That we'll be delving into that story

01:17:05 here on the show as well.

01:17:06 It's an interesting conversation

01:17:08 that you'd want to stay with.

01:17:09 But let's talk about the bank of Ghana issues.

01:17:12 The governor, Dr. Ernest Addison,

01:17:15 has been giving, you know, reasons

01:17:18 as to why they recorded that 60.8 billion cities lost.

01:17:23 He's been explaining that it's because of,

01:17:26 you know, technical losses

01:17:28 and not really because of mismanagement.

01:17:31 Now, let's share with you what they have been saying

01:17:34 at a press conference yesterday.

01:17:37 Now, he said the bank of Ghana's

01:17:38 2022 financial statement results

01:17:40 reflect the crisis that hit the economy in that year.

01:17:46 And not because of their mismanagement.

01:17:50 Their statement also continues that

01:17:51 if you look at the result of the prudent

01:17:56 economic management, the bank of Ghana's profit in 2019

01:18:01 to 2021, this is how it looks like.

01:18:04 Now, in 2019, they recorded a profit of 1.6 billion cities.

01:18:09 In 2020, it reduced to 1.5 billion cities.

01:18:14 So probably it should have told us

01:18:17 that something, you know, wasn't that right

01:18:20 because the profit margin was reducing.

01:18:22 And then in 2021, bank of Ghana recorded a profit

01:18:27 of 1.4 billion cities.

01:18:30 Now, so after they recorded that,

01:18:34 what was the impact of COVID and Russia-Ukraine war

01:18:38 to, you know, the bank of Ghana's balance statement?

01:18:41 And it says, significant part of the annual borrowing

01:18:45 was allocated to debt service

01:18:47 and energy payment obligations.

01:18:50 External debt service and energy payments

01:18:53 increased to three, to four billion annually as at 2020.

01:18:58 So that was how much we needed to, you know,

01:19:03 service our debt and to pay for, you know,

01:19:06 our energy consumption.

01:19:08 Bank of Ghana lost $500 million

01:19:12 in external reserves in two months.

01:19:15 So in two months, the bank of Ghana lost $500 million.

01:19:20 No new foreign financing until July

01:19:25 when AfriExim Bank stepped in to support

01:19:28 with $750 million.

01:19:30 You remember the story, right?

01:19:32 You know, when we were in some crisis

01:19:35 and then the AfriExim Bank came to our aid.

01:19:37 So that's what the bank of Ghana is saying.

01:19:39 Now let's move on and tell you what more

01:19:41 they have been sharing with us as well.

01:19:43 Now, once we were in that crisis,

01:19:47 the bank of Ghana and the government

01:19:50 turned to the IMF for support.

01:19:53 Now, Ghana approached IMF for support in July, 2022,

01:19:58 after economists had said you needed to go to the IMF

01:20:03 earlier on, but Ghana said we weren't gonna go to the IMF

01:20:07 because we were okay.

01:20:08 But when the balance of payment

01:20:12 became something that was unsustainable,

01:20:14 we knew that the only option was to go to the IMF.

01:20:18 Now, IMF agreed to the bank of Ghana,

01:20:20 agreed that the bank of Ghana provide necessary support

01:20:24 to keep the economy running

01:20:26 because the economy could not, you know, crash.

01:20:29 So the BOG had to come in there.

01:20:31 The BOG supported the economy

01:20:32 until the IMF program concluded.

01:20:36 This is testament of the resilience of the BOG

01:20:40 as a lender of last resort.

01:20:41 So that is the explanation the BOG is offering,

01:20:45 that when we're in crisis,

01:20:47 it was the BOG that supported the economy

01:20:50 until the IMF came to our rescue.

01:20:53 Despite losses incurred by households,

01:20:56 banks and financial institutions,

01:20:58 threshold of 55% of GDP was not met.

01:21:02 So that was a requirement for us to get the IMF program,

01:21:05 that our debt to GDP was supposed to reduce to 55%.

01:21:10 Now, the finance minister wrote to BOG

01:21:14 with proposed 50% haircut

01:21:16 on BOG holdings of government debt.

01:21:20 The BOG acted in good faith

01:21:23 for the broader interest of the economy.

01:21:26 That's what the bank of Ghana is saying,

01:21:28 that that's what they did.

01:21:29 So, you know,

01:21:33 the bank of Ghana's current financial condition

01:21:38 will not impact negatively

01:21:40 on the operations of the bank,

01:21:42 because that's what some people have been saying,

01:21:44 that it's a sort of worry where we are.

01:21:46 But the BOG is saying that,

01:21:48 no, you don't need to worry.

01:21:49 Everything is under control,

01:21:51 that our condition will not affect our operations.

01:21:56 So that's what they are saying.

01:21:57 But let's try and break these issues down.

01:22:00 We're being joined by Professor John Gatchee,

01:22:03 he's Dean of the UCC School of Business,

01:22:06 to help us analyze all of these issues and more here.

01:22:12 We're also being joined by his counterpart in the,

01:22:17 okay, so we'll be joined,

01:22:21 we'll get him on the line as well,

01:22:22 but we currently, we've been joined

01:22:24 by Professor John Gatchee,

01:22:25 he's the Dean of the University of Cape Cod School of Business.

01:22:28 Prof, good morning to you,

01:22:29 and welcome to Transall as well.

01:22:30 - Thank you for having me.

01:22:34 - All right.

01:22:35 I'm sure you've apprised yourself with,

01:22:38 you know, the Bank of Ghana's justification

01:22:40 of the 60 billion lost there.

01:22:42 What do you make of their justification?

01:22:45 - I think the justification is problematic.

01:22:50 Losses are not events that do not happen to institutions.

01:22:56 So, how you explain the losses to your stakeholders

01:23:01 matters a lot.

01:23:04 That will carry your stakeholders with you

01:23:08 to support you, expecting that it will turn things around.

01:23:12 I think the governor tried to do that

01:23:18 in part of the statement, which was good,

01:23:21 but along the line, he went into the frail

01:23:26 of trying to defend the indefensible.

01:23:29 Now, number one, he claimed that the bank

01:23:35 was not set up to make profit,

01:23:37 so that if we do not exceed profit

01:23:40 coming from the Bank of Ghana, we shouldn't worry.

01:23:44 But at the same breath, he tried to project

01:23:49 as profit in 2019, profit in 2020,

01:23:55 profit in 2021.

01:23:56 For what reason?

01:23:58 Then he went on to tell us that the financing

01:24:04 of the new building they are putting up

01:24:08 was from the appropriation of profit made in 2019,

01:24:12 2020, and 2021.

01:24:16 So, what is the governor telling us?

01:24:21 So, I think something happened in the Bank of Ghana,

01:24:25 which the governor knows was actually not correct.

01:24:31 We have gone overboard.

01:24:35 The law is made in such a way that economic activities,

01:24:40 financing activities, will have to be put

01:24:45 in the perspective of the law.

01:24:48 The law is very clear, that 5%

01:24:51 of a previous year's tax revenue

01:24:55 can be lent to government.

01:24:57 In times of crisis, let the finance minister,

01:25:01 let the governor and the comptroller and accountant general

01:25:06 meet and determine what is feasible to give

01:25:10 to the government to finance the difficulty.

01:25:14 We never had these three people come out to tell us that,

01:25:19 because we're in crisis, we aren't going to use the 5%,

01:25:25 we are going to use 20, we are going to use 30.

01:25:27 They never said that.

01:25:30 So, they were just in the frame of lending money

01:25:33 to government, providing support to government.

01:25:37 Any request that the government made,

01:25:39 they are ready to carry it on.

01:25:41 Now, it is professional difficulty to see that.

01:25:46 - As for that point, they say that the IMF

01:25:49 asked them to support the economy in the interim.

01:25:52 - Please, please, please, please.

01:25:54 IMF is not the sovereign of this country.

01:25:57 - Okay.

01:25:58 - The sovereign of this country is structured

01:26:01 in such a way that we have executive,

01:26:04 we have the judiciary, and we have parliament.

01:26:07 And parliament having made, to have oversight responsibility

01:26:12 of our finances in the country is not a matter of IMF.

01:26:18 It's a matter of whether you show fidelity to your laws.

01:26:24 So, as for IMF matter,

01:26:26 let us not bring it into the discussion.

01:26:28 - Okay, okay.

01:26:30 - So, going forward, I think you have taken away my time.

01:26:36 I think you have taken away my thoughts a little bit.

01:26:39 But let me go on.

01:26:42 So, that is how the arrangement ought to be.

01:26:47 But it seems independence which should have determined

01:26:52 that the Bank of Ghana is indeed the lender of last resort.

01:26:59 And professionally, you should be doing endless support

01:27:04 to government with the eye on protecting

01:27:08 that lender of last resort.

01:27:11 Okay, now look at it.

01:27:12 Bank of Ghana has lent to,

01:27:14 has supported government activities to the extent

01:27:17 that Bank of Ghana cannot set a 15 billion Ghana cedis

01:27:21 to support ailing banks.

01:27:23 Where is the protection of that lender of last resort?

01:27:29 Bank of Ghana was financing activities

01:27:33 that they claim was legitimate.

01:27:35 And they were not protecting their ability

01:27:40 to ensure that their capital base is protected.

01:27:45 And the audit report is saying

01:27:47 that Bank of Ghana needs capitalization.

01:27:50 So, what is the professionalism

01:27:54 to protect that lender of last resort?

01:27:57 These are the issues that people are asking.

01:28:00 Now, the Bank of Ghana is now saying

01:28:02 that they made technical losses.

01:28:04 There's nothing like technical losses.

01:28:07 If you make loss, it's a loss.

01:28:10 What is important about a loss is that you have opportunity

01:28:14 to explain to your stakeholders,

01:28:16 for them to appreciate whether this is a one-off event

01:28:21 that will go away within a year, within two years,

01:28:28 within three years, within medium term or long term.

01:28:31 So, that is how losses are supposed to be identified

01:28:35 and explained to the stakeholder.

01:28:37 You don't come out and to say

01:28:39 that we are not set up to make profit.

01:28:42 That one we all know.

01:28:43 But when you make profit, you are happy,

01:28:45 you are allocating the profit to finance your new building.

01:28:50 And you want us to believe

01:28:52 that you're not in business to make profit.

01:28:55 Therefore, any losses can be acceptable.

01:28:58 No, there's nothing like technical losses.

01:29:01 We all know the provision of IFRS 9.

01:29:04 In fact, you also need to add seven to each

01:29:08 because that talk about the interest income and thereabout.

01:29:12 We know the provisions on impairment,

01:29:17 disclosures and the rest.

01:29:19 So, you just apply the accounting standard

01:29:22 and you make losses.

01:29:24 So, you should accept that you make losses

01:29:27 on account of your operation.

01:29:28 The investment that the Bank of Ghana made

01:29:32 in government instrument is part of its operations.

01:29:37 And they make losses.

01:29:39 And that have been disclosed in line with the IFRS 9

01:29:43 and the impairment made.

01:29:46 But the only thing we are seeing is that

01:29:48 if you look at the convoluted nature of governance

01:29:52 and the Bank of Ghana being a public institution,

01:29:56 if you are going to make impairment of your assets

01:30:01 beyond a certain level,

01:30:04 something should trigger you that you need to go

01:30:10 to parliament for parliament to support that.

01:30:13 That is where the beef is.

01:30:16 So, these are the issue that Bank of Ghana should address.

01:30:20 It might seem.

01:30:22 But to say that the loss you have made

01:30:23 is called technical losses.

01:30:26 It doesn't affect your operations and the rest.

01:30:30 For God's sake, the reason why we do financial

01:30:35 statement analysis, we do reporting, et cetera,

01:30:39 is to assure the stakeholder that the entities manage well.

01:30:44 - But that's their point, isn't it?

01:30:48 That they manage the institution well.

01:30:51 Their losses were not because of mismanagement,

01:30:54 but it's because of what happened to the economy.

01:30:56 Are they explaining that?

01:30:58 - The loss is as a result of mismanagement.

01:31:02 I told you that the Bank of Ghana has opportunity

01:31:07 to lend 5% or to support government about 5%

01:31:11 of previous revenue.

01:31:15 - That is true.

01:31:16 - Now, in times of trouble,

01:31:18 three individual finance minister representing government

01:31:23 and the controller of an accountant general

01:31:26 and the governor should determine.

01:31:28 What are they determine?

01:31:30 They didn't, the law didn't say that in times of trouble,

01:31:33 they should have been supported.

01:31:34 They should have been supported.

01:31:35 No, that's not what our law says.

01:31:37 So, those are the issues we're saying.

01:31:39 So, if you are minded about the independence

01:31:42 and your duty of last lender,

01:31:46 you will not just be giving the money until it's finished.

01:31:51 It is only when IMF came in that break was applied

01:31:56 and imposition was made on both government and the IMF

01:32:01 not to borrow because the IMF knows that the problem

01:32:04 of central bank and part of the fiscal dominance

01:32:08 that we have experienced is as a result of lending

01:32:12 without recourse to the law.

01:32:15 So, that should be very clear.

01:32:19 - But when the economy is in distress and it needs saving,

01:32:24 must the law be the supreme interest here

01:32:29 when the economy is in distress?

01:32:30 - The law is supreme.

01:32:32 That's why the law make it so flexible for you

01:32:36 that three of you meet and determine.

01:32:38 And when you determine, what will you do?

01:32:40 You go to parliament within seven days.

01:32:42 That's what the law says.

01:32:43 And the parliament, you go and explain to parliament

01:32:47 and parliament agrees with you, you come and implement.

01:32:52 If parliament does not agree with you

01:32:56 and you think that your position is superior,

01:33:00 you do what is proper to convince them to agree.

01:33:04 So, it's just a violation, a spree that has happened.

01:33:09 So, nobody can say that the law has given them the chance

01:33:12 to do whatever we want to do.

01:33:14 No, that is a break.

01:33:17 And that break is what we have not respected.

01:33:20 And let all of us appreciate that we are not saying

01:33:25 that in the life of an institution,

01:33:27 you will not make losses.

01:33:30 But to make a loss of 60 billion in one year,

01:33:34 is so colossal that if you are going to explain,

01:33:39 you must explain to convince the people.

01:33:42 You must not explain to tell the people

01:33:44 that they don't know anything.

01:33:47 - So, are you not convinced by them saying

01:33:50 that the finance minister wrote to the BOG

01:33:54 with a proposed 50% haircut on BOG's holdings

01:33:58 of government debt?

01:33:59 And that is why this loss came about.

01:34:02 It's because of the debt exchange program

01:34:05 and not because they lost the money

01:34:07 in trying to support government, isn't it?

01:34:10 - Who told you that the Bank of Ghana

01:34:12 cannot negotiate that proposal?

01:34:14 It's not an imposition, it's a proposal.

01:34:16 Who told you the Bank of Ghana

01:34:17 cannot negotiate that to 20%?

01:34:19 Who say that?

01:34:22 - If they had negotiated,

01:34:23 we could have gotten the IMF deal, wasn't it?

01:34:26 - No, who says that the Bank of Ghana

01:34:29 cannot negotiate to get 20%?

01:34:34 And who says that the central bank

01:34:41 should be heavily exposed to government instruments?

01:34:46 Of course, that is necessary,

01:34:49 but you need to match your risk level

01:34:53 to what you are doing.

01:34:54 So, it's as if we are trying to agree

01:34:59 with the central bank that you can't do anything.

01:35:01 I don't think so.

01:35:03 - Okay.

01:35:04 - I don't think so.

01:35:05 And to make a loss of 60 billion one year,

01:35:08 and you are saying that it's just a technical issue,

01:35:11 a technical loss, it's just a book loss.

01:35:14 It is not true.

01:35:15 Is the money from the debt,

01:35:18 are they going to recover it?

01:35:20 That's the story, you don't come

01:35:23 and then try to insult all of us

01:35:26 by saying that it's a technical loss.

01:35:28 - Okay, so, to both.

01:35:32 - Try to get us to be on the same page with you.

01:35:34 Try to get us to be on the same page with you

01:35:39 and stop the unnecessary justification.

01:35:42 I like the bit that the governor says

01:35:45 that they have plans to recover.

01:35:50 They have planned to return to normalcy.

01:35:55 They have planned to strengthen

01:35:58 the role of the central bank.

01:36:01 I like that aspect,

01:36:03 but trying to say that you have not done anything,

01:36:09 that you are not so angelic

01:36:10 in the performance of your duty,

01:36:13 I think is not the best.

01:36:15 - Let's break it down for people

01:36:20 who are not financially inclined as you are.

01:36:25 When we say a technical loss

01:36:27 in the perspective of the central bank,

01:36:29 what does it mean?

01:36:30 - I don't understand it because

01:36:33 I feel it's just a word used

01:36:38 to confuse the public.

01:36:40 We know how financial statements are prepared.

01:36:44 And if you are not interested in financial statements,

01:36:49 then it's as well as income and expenditure.

01:36:52 So I told you about the provision of IFRS 9,

01:36:59 and I will add IFRS 7 to it.

01:37:02 We know what it tells us,

01:37:03 the disclosure, the classification of asset liability,

01:37:07 the measurement, and the impairment, et cetera.

01:37:11 When those things catch up on you,

01:37:14 they will eat into your profit and you come to losses.

01:37:18 So you can't be calling it any other name.

01:37:20 You can't call it any other name.

01:37:23 And anybody who says that the financial situation

01:37:27 of the central bank will not have a toll

01:37:29 on the ability of the central bank to perform its duties,

01:37:34 might be joking.

01:37:36 Might be joking.

01:37:38 If they were not to make profit in 2019, 2020, 2022,

01:37:41 how would they be financing the project they are doing?

01:37:46 How would they be going for supervision?

01:37:49 Quick, they are quoted so much expenditure there.

01:37:52 How would they be doing that?

01:37:53 How would they be doing that?

01:37:56 In any case, in any case, in any case,

01:38:01 all the Bank of Ghana has done,

01:38:04 has they been close to us?

01:38:06 The measures they have taken so far to protect the economy,

01:38:11 the optimum inflation level they expected to attain,

01:38:14 have they attained that?

01:38:16 Have they protected the reserves?

01:38:19 So there are a lot of issues that we need to do,

01:38:25 but I feel so sad that this banter is going on

01:38:30 between the public and the bank.

01:38:34 And for quit the bank is relentless

01:38:37 in trying to justify its position.

01:38:40 I believe that we need to raise this matter

01:38:43 for the Bank of Ghana to focus, to do its work.

01:38:48 'Cause the bank is so crucial to economic development,

01:38:52 is so crucial to ensuring stability

01:38:56 in the financial landscape.

01:38:58 Right now, there is trouble in the financial landscape.

01:39:02 We need to allow the Bank of Ghana to focus on that.

01:39:05 But I believe they need to think proper

01:39:10 and realize that they are not doing themselves good.

01:39:15 As they come to give these explanations,

01:39:19 it doesn't deal with people

01:39:21 and people will come up again and the matter continues.

01:39:24 And it's not good for a central bank

01:39:27 to go into the headlines for more than a month.

01:39:31 It's not the best.

01:39:33 - Okay.

01:39:33 What conditions must necessitate the writing off of debt

01:39:40 on the books of the central bank?

01:39:42 - You see, if you take the financial reporting standard,

01:39:48 especially now, you think that it's so simple to do.

01:39:54 I think that is very simple when the government of Ghana

01:39:59 is indebted to a private company.

01:40:02 The government of Ghana can write to the private company

01:40:06 and the private company consider it.

01:40:09 And if they are satisfied, they write it off.

01:40:12 But when it comes to government and government institutions,

01:40:18 and that government institution

01:40:20 need to have oversight from parliament.

01:40:23 And especially when the amount of money

01:40:25 involved in the write-off is so huge.

01:40:29 You see, it's only proper to realize

01:40:32 that you need to go to another body to approve.

01:40:36 And that is parliament.

01:40:37 - Okay.

01:40:38 - So if government will just simply write to Bank of Ghana

01:40:42 to write off and they write off,

01:40:44 what will government be doing?

01:40:47 They write to the next SOE, they write to another SOE,

01:40:52 they write to another independent institution

01:40:54 that they are indebted to.

01:40:56 And that is a messy situation.

01:40:59 So I think the proper thing was not done.

01:41:02 And that is where the noise is about.

01:41:05 Do you think that if the Bank of Ghana contacted parliament

01:41:10 and explain the peculiar situation to them

01:41:13 and parliament agrees.

01:41:15 Now parliament, Bank of Ghana and government

01:41:18 would have been on one side against the public.

01:41:22 But now parliament is not satisfied with the situation.

01:41:27 And government and Bank of Ghana are on one side.

01:41:32 So I think laws are made to be able to shift this

01:41:37 and protect institution and protect actions that are taken.

01:41:42 So if you decide not to follow it,

01:41:44 these are some of the problems that it creates.

01:41:47 - So it means that Bank of Ghana would have been okay

01:41:52 if it got parliament to approve

01:41:54 the writing off of the debt of government?

01:41:57 - Yes, what we will be discussing.

01:42:00 We can only shout and that will be the end

01:42:04 because they have received the authorization.

01:42:06 - Okay.

01:42:09 Okay, now the Bank of Ghana is also saying that,

01:42:16 it has sufficient capital amounting to about 15%

01:42:22 of the total liabilities.

01:42:24 And therefore, everybody should remain calm.

01:42:28 You doubt this data, the governor is saying.

01:42:33 - All these reports supersedes

01:42:35 the statement of the governor.

01:42:37 - Okay.

01:42:38 - Because when the audit was done,

01:42:40 the governor was given chance to provide explanations,

01:42:44 et cetera.

01:42:45 Those explanations were not found to be the case.

01:42:50 That is why we see those things in the audit report.

01:42:53 So the audit report is telling us that,

01:42:56 the liabilities of Bank of Ghana

01:42:59 is more than the assets of Bank of Ghana.

01:43:02 That is what we know from the audit report.

01:43:04 And the purpose of audit is to give us assurance

01:43:07 that whatever the preparers of the financial statement,

01:43:13 that is the directors of the banks

01:43:16 and the top management of the Bank of Ghana

01:43:19 have prepared and presented to them.

01:43:22 It is prepared in accordance with the standards

01:43:25 and the things that they have identified

01:43:28 were explained sufficiently and then it is acceptable.

01:43:33 So for us to read something from the audit report

01:43:38 and the governor is telling us something different now,

01:43:42 I think that is problematic.

01:43:44 That is problematic.

01:43:47 The bit I like is that,

01:43:50 the governor is telling us that they have plan.

01:43:52 Of course that plan needs to be disclosed somehow

01:43:55 to ensure that we limit the losses as we go along.

01:44:01 I think that is the explanation we should be giving.

01:44:04 - So is it your fear that in all the assurance

01:44:12 that the governor is giving,

01:44:15 the Bank of Ghana may not be able to undertake

01:44:19 its primary role as a result of what has happened?

01:44:23 - What is the primary role of Bank of Ghana?

01:44:26 - Is that to develop monetary policies.

01:44:28 - Price stability, economy development.

01:44:32 So what is the result of the price stability efforts?

01:44:38 As movers into 43% inflation,

01:44:43 exchange rates as movers from 60 days to around 1150.

01:44:48 Interest rate, I think has movers from around 14.5%

01:44:53 to around 30% policy rate.

01:44:59 Lending rate is high.

01:45:02 So is it the case that the crisis

01:45:08 without the intervention of Bank of Ghana

01:45:11 should have led us to 70% inflation,

01:45:17 80% interest rate,

01:45:19 as seen rate of 25 cities to the dollar

01:45:23 and through the intervention,

01:45:25 they have been able to get what they have for us.

01:45:29 So that will help us to determine

01:45:30 whether what they have done has yielded any result.

01:45:34 Look at the reserve side is fragile.

01:45:39 So what at all has the policy mandate

01:45:46 of the Bank of Ghana achieved significance?

01:45:49 I think that ought to be explained.

01:45:51 We don't need to just say that we are policy solvent.

01:45:55 Policy solvent how?

01:45:57 - All right, so going forward,

01:46:04 what must we do to ensure that the Bank of Ghana

01:46:08 is saved from all of this?

01:46:10 We know that in the next couple of years,

01:46:13 there'll be the IMF says zero financing of government budget.

01:46:17 Beyond that, what must be done

01:46:19 so that we don't come back to this,

01:46:20 this whole development again?

01:46:23 - I think we need to state emphatically

01:46:25 that you see the Bank of Ghana is a sovereign institution.

01:46:31 We can't have a Bank of Ghana

01:46:33 that will not support government activities.

01:46:36 That one, I think is something that IMF is imposing

01:46:43 which is not practicable.

01:46:44 They did the same thing in 2015

01:46:48 and the wisdom displayed by parliament

01:46:52 put it at 5% instead of they desiring

01:46:55 that it should be 0%.

01:46:58 So parliament put it at 5%

01:47:01 and I do not think that we should pass a law

01:47:05 to make it zero, I mean, financing.

01:47:08 No, by all means you would need

01:47:11 the Bank of Ghana support

01:47:14 in financing activities of government.

01:47:16 - Okay.

01:47:17 - But what has been the situation is that,

01:47:19 the issue of independence of the central bank.

01:47:26 Central bank is not independent.

01:47:31 So the small pressure by the finance

01:47:35 or the fiscal authorities, they bow.

01:47:40 So if we have a central bank that is actually independent

01:47:44 and focus on in professional mandates,

01:47:46 I'm not be financing everything

01:47:49 for the IMF to put it into this situation.

01:47:52 So because we are not obeying the law,

01:47:54 that is the reason why the central bank

01:47:57 is asked to do zero financing.

01:48:00 And I'm emphasizing that the IMF knows

01:48:04 that that is the single most important cost of our problem.

01:48:09 So that is why they want to stop that.

01:48:11 But it's against our sovereignty.

01:48:14 And I'm asking the parliamentarian to buy into that.

01:48:19 - Well, so how do we ensure the independence

01:48:28 of the central bank?

01:48:29 If that's a problem we need to deal with?

01:48:32 - That one is about the governance and the directors.

01:48:39 That is the job they have to do.

01:48:41 - But a governor is appointed by a president

01:48:45 who has a government that is in charge

01:48:49 of an economy to run.

01:48:50 So the governor would definitely have some soft spot

01:48:55 for the president because he appointed him.

01:48:58 Isn't that the case?

01:48:59 - See, if you look at the structure

01:49:02 or the laws of Bank of Ghana about the appointment

01:49:07 and remover of the governance,

01:49:10 you realize that it is protective of the governance.

01:49:14 It is made in such a way that you don't fear anything

01:49:19 in applying the principles of independence.

01:49:24 Because if the position is not protected,

01:49:29 it is then that you will say that if I do this,

01:49:32 if I don't bow, if I don't comply,

01:49:35 I will be sacked the next day.

01:49:38 But nobody can sack any governor

01:49:41 by announcing that I have sacked you.

01:49:43 No, nobody can do that.

01:49:44 There are processes and those processes are so stringent

01:49:48 and it demands a lot of proof

01:49:52 to be able to remove a governor.

01:49:54 So the law has made it possible

01:49:56 for the governance to act independently.

01:50:00 And if they are not acting independently,

01:50:03 that one is their own problem.

01:50:06 - No, but if their own problem gets all of us

01:50:11 into the situation we find ourselves,

01:50:14 then we can no longer sit and watch on

01:50:19 for them to keep doing that.

01:50:21 So there needs to be a way we can ensure

01:50:24 the independence of the central bank.

01:50:27 Is there no way?

01:50:28 - Independence of the central bank is solidified,

01:50:33 is protected through the appointment of the directors,

01:50:38 through the appointment of the governance.

01:50:43 And their position is so that you cannot remove them

01:50:47 by any means at all.

01:50:51 You must only remove them by stated reasons,

01:50:54 which are verifiable and through a process.

01:50:58 And that alone should be enough to tell you

01:51:02 that you have a protection at your back.

01:51:04 You should be bold to tell the finance minister

01:51:07 that this request that you are making

01:51:11 to have this repercussion on us

01:51:14 and that we are sorry we are not able to meet it.

01:51:17 That is how it is.

01:51:20 I don't know how else we can protect the governance

01:51:24 to be able to function,

01:51:25 unless the political parties have something else.

01:51:30 They are threatening them in private

01:51:32 and they feel that if they don't do it,

01:51:34 they are coming to kill them, et cetera.

01:51:36 Perhaps that is the only reason why we can engage

01:51:40 in this kind of lack of independence

01:51:45 that we have observed.

01:51:47 - Well, if they had, you earlier said that

01:51:53 the request by the finance minister for the bank

01:51:57 to get us that 50%,

01:52:00 they should have lobbied and beaten it down to say 20%.

01:52:04 That could still have not allowed us to get the IMF

01:52:08 and the economy would have been in dire straits as we speak.

01:52:13 Where we are now is better than where we were

01:52:15 about four months ago.

01:52:17 Shouldn't we consider the health of the economy

01:52:20 in such instances that to say that we want the central bank

01:52:24 to have a positive outturn and so,

01:52:26 they'll beat it down even if it's gonna cost the economy?

01:52:29 - I think you're not getting me.

01:52:31 - Okay, let me get you.

01:52:32 - I didn't say that we want the central bank

01:52:35 to get a positive outcome by all means.

01:52:39 What I'm saying is that a central bank can report

01:52:44 losses and those losses will be explained.

01:52:50 In fact, if it's not even huge,

01:52:52 people will not take note of that and start pacing.

01:52:56 So, losses can indeed exist,

01:53:00 but it might have reason why the losses occur

01:53:03 and those reasons should resonate with the stakeholders.

01:53:07 But now, the reason is not resonating

01:53:09 with the stakeholders.

01:53:11 So, that is one.

01:53:13 Then the other one is that all these things

01:53:16 would have had a shield or protection for the central bank

01:53:19 if we were to seek parliamentary approval.

01:53:22 - Okay.

01:53:25 - We will not be discussing what we are discussing today

01:53:28 if everybody realized that parliament has approved

01:53:31 what the central bank did.

01:53:35 In fact, when you put together all the statement

01:53:38 the central bank is giving,

01:53:40 they are conflicting one another.

01:53:42 The one they just released before this one is conflicting.

01:53:49 So, I think that is just that we are saying.

01:53:51 - Okay, all right.

01:53:56 So, that's Professor John Gachi.

01:53:58 He's Dean of the University of Cape Coast School of Business.

01:54:02 Professor, from where we are now,

01:54:05 what would be your recommendation to the governor himself

01:54:09 as to how he can turn things around for the central bank?

01:54:14 - I think that is his job.

01:54:17 He should articulate that.

01:54:19 I think he has indicated that there are plans

01:54:23 to gradually ease the negative that we have recorded.

01:54:28 He has plans to protect the central bank.

01:54:36 Sometimes the plan cannot be in your mind.

01:54:41 If we go to the website of the Bank of Ghana,

01:54:44 we need to see some of those things,

01:54:45 not the old things that we have seen.

01:54:48 All the Bank of Ghana should be magnanimous a little bit

01:54:53 to open up to tell us what is being done

01:54:56 to ensure a particular roadmap for the Bank of Ghana.

01:55:01 I think I stated that,

01:55:04 that statement that we are not created to make profit

01:55:06 shouldn't have been made

01:55:08 because you have already shown that profit is so good for you

01:55:12 and you are using it to build a new office.

01:55:15 You have demonstrated to us that you have profit, et cetera.

01:55:18 So I think that's all that I can say.

01:55:21 - But on the new building,

01:55:24 you said it was started about, I think three years ago,

01:55:28 and it wasn't during the times of crisis

01:55:30 else they wouldn't have taken that decision.

01:55:32 So I think that should be it for the building, isn't it?

01:55:36 - Well, I'm not the one raising the financing

01:55:41 of the building.

01:55:43 There are people who are raising the financing

01:55:45 of the building.

01:55:46 They have procurement issues.

01:55:48 They have the actual cost that is being disclosed

01:55:54 in the report.

01:55:56 They think that the actual cost is more than that.

01:56:02 So I don't want to speak for those people.

01:56:04 But what I am saying is that profit is so vital

01:56:09 to the Bank of Ghana.

01:56:12 Without profit, the Bank of Ghana

01:56:14 will not be putting up that structure

01:56:17 as explained by the governor himself.

01:56:21 So profit is good for the bank.

01:56:23 So we shouldn't come out and be saying that,

01:56:26 we all know that you are not established to make profit,

01:56:30 but profit is what has kept you all this while.

01:56:33 - All right, so that's my way of,

01:56:38 so Prof's point is that the BOG should have gone

01:56:43 to Parliament to seek for permission,

01:56:45 for Parliament to then grant it the go ahead

01:56:49 to honor the request by government.

01:56:52 If they had done this, he argues that we wouldn't

01:56:56 have been where we are today,

01:56:57 where we are talking about this loss,

01:56:59 because it would have been with the express permission

01:57:02 of Parliament, which is the House of Representatives

01:57:06 for you and I.

01:57:07 What do you make of this?

01:57:08 Go onto our Facebook and leave your comment there.

01:57:11 I'll share it with the rest of our viewers.

01:57:14 So Prof, I'm grateful to you for sharing with us

01:57:19 your thought on the Bank of Ghana's activities.

01:57:22 Grateful, have a good day, sir.

01:57:24 - Thank you.

01:57:25 - So that's Professor John Gachi,

01:57:26 he is the Dean of the School of Business,

01:57:29 University of Cape Coast.

01:57:31 Now, it's interesting how all of these issues

01:57:35 are coming up, but what do you think of this development

01:57:39 and the conversation we've had with Professor John Gachi?

01:57:42 On our Facebook page, you can leave your comment there,

01:57:45 and we would share it with our viewers as well.

01:57:49 Now let's turn our attention to our second conversation,

01:57:51 where in the Upper East Region of Ghana,

01:57:54 they are recording the highest number of elephantiasis,

01:57:59 according to the Ghana Health Service.

01:58:01 There have been about 2,373 confirmed cases

01:58:05 of elephantiasis in the region,

01:58:06 accounting for about a third of the total national cases.

01:58:10 Why is this the case?

01:58:12 We have Esper joining us to discuss this

01:58:14 right after the break.

01:58:15 Stay with us.

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01:58:39 (dramatic music)

01:58:42 (dramatic music)

01:58:43 - Welcome back from the break.

01:58:45 Let's talk about the elephantiasis issue

01:58:48 in the Upper West Region.

01:58:49 Bright Allo-Matu is the S.O. for Lymphatic Filariasis,

01:58:54 the NTD program.

01:58:55 He is joining us for a conversation on this one.

01:58:58 Solomon Atimbire is Program Manager,

01:59:02 American Leprosy Mission.

01:59:03 He's also joining us as well.

01:59:05 Solo and Bright, good morning to you gentlemen, and welcome.

01:59:09 - Good morning.

01:59:14 - Great.

01:59:15 Let me start with you, Bright.

01:59:19 Have we been able to understand why this is happening?

01:59:23 - Well, yes, we very much understand

01:59:30 the situation in the country.

01:59:32 We have mapped the disease across all regions in the country

01:59:38 and out of the 16 regions,

01:59:43 we have 12 of them being endemic.

01:59:47 And we have 116 districts

01:59:51 that transmission of the disease was found to be ongoing.

01:59:56 We did that exercise in 1999.

02:00:00 And then we started an intervention

02:00:05 to interrupt the transmission of the disease.

02:00:10 So we've been doing this since 2001.

02:00:17 We've been administering medications

02:00:19 to prevent the spread of the disease.

02:00:22 And Upper East is one of the many regions that are endemic.

02:00:27 And every year we send ivermectin and alabendazole

02:00:33 for volunteers to move from house to house,

02:00:36 register whole populations and then treat them.

02:00:40 And as you speak,

02:00:41 we've been able to interrupt the transmission of the disease

02:00:44 in 109 out of the 116 endemic districts.

02:00:49 So for now we have seven districts that are yet

02:00:55 to see interruption of the transmission of the disease.

02:00:59 And Upper East region, for instance,

02:01:02 even though we are talking of high numbers

02:01:06 of people living with the manifestations of the disease,

02:01:11 we've been able to also interrupt the transmission

02:01:14 of the disease in Upper East region.

02:01:16 So if I may give-

02:01:22 - But if you say you have interrupted-

02:01:25 - A bit more on the situation of Africa.

02:01:27 - If you say you have interrupted,

02:01:29 it means that there shouldn't be a spread.

02:01:31 Which year were you able to achieve this?

02:01:34 And why are we still having these numbers?

02:01:36 - Yeah, so the disease is such that

02:01:42 one gets infected when an infected mosquito bites you.

02:01:47 The mosquito bites somebody that has the parasites

02:01:51 in the blood and then picks some of the parasites.

02:01:54 And when it comes to bite you, it gives them to you.

02:01:58 But it takes many years for the disease to develop.

02:02:01 The infection lead to damage to the lymphatic vessels,

02:02:06 which leads to accumulation of the fluid in the vessels

02:02:11 and also in some tissues.

02:02:13 And that is what we see as the swelling.

02:02:16 And we have the elephantiasis,

02:02:17 which is the swelling of the limbs.

02:02:20 We have that of the legs, that of the hands,

02:02:23 elephantiasis of the breasts,

02:02:25 even elephantiasis of the kidney.

02:02:27 It's a level over.

02:02:30 And we also have hydrocephalus,

02:02:32 which is the swelling of the scotum.

02:02:35 So these are all signs of the disease.

02:02:37 But it takes many years for the signs to start showing.

02:02:42 And if you pick any endemic population,

02:02:46 you may find many people having the infection.

02:02:49 And yet, just a few of them might have gone ahead

02:02:52 to develop the condition.

02:02:54 And therefore, normally if we want to know

02:03:00 where the disease is, we don't go looking for the big legs,

02:03:02 the big scotum and the like.

02:03:04 But we rather test people to see the level of infection

02:03:08 in the people.

02:03:10 And we do the mass treatment, we target everybody.

02:03:13 And that is aimed at stopping the spread of the disease.

02:03:18 And many people, as I said earlier,

02:03:22 may have the infection, but may not have the swelling.

02:03:25 And again, many of those that even have the swellings,

02:03:32 you test them now, they no longer have the parasites.

02:03:34 The parasites came, the damage occurred,

02:03:36 and the parasites are dead and gone.

02:03:37 Now they are living with the effect

02:03:39 of the damage to the vessels.

02:03:41 - Okay.

02:03:42 - And this condition was,

02:03:45 especially for the swelling of the limbs,

02:03:48 we don't talk about a cure for them because it's difficult.

02:03:54 So we manage them.

02:03:57 At the swelling of the scotum, the hydrocell

02:04:00 and that of the breast,

02:04:01 there are operations that are able to cure.

02:04:05 But for the swelling of the limbs, we don't have a cure.

02:04:09 So we manage them.

02:04:11 And that is why, even though we've been able

02:04:13 to interrupt transmission of the disease in the region,

02:04:16 we still have people living with the swellings.

02:04:19 - Okay.

02:04:20 - And the numbers that we talked about

02:04:22 as a result of an active search that we went to undertake.

02:04:27 And that came out with these numbers

02:04:29 that we are talking about.

02:04:31 - Okay.

02:04:31 - If I may add,

02:04:33 as I said, it's not the only endemic region.

02:04:37 And probably the high numbers may be as a result

02:04:41 of the many dams and then the irrigation projects

02:04:46 we have within the region.

02:04:48 As I said earlier, it is the very anopheles mosquito

02:04:52 that also transmits this one.

02:04:54 So where you have situations where certain factors

02:04:58 lead to huge numbers of mosquitoes within the environment,

02:05:03 the likelihood of increased transmission is very high.

02:05:08 And probably that is the cause of the high numbers

02:05:11 that we see.

02:05:12 But this is not a new thing.

02:05:14 It is a chronic condition.

02:05:15 So these are people that have been living

02:05:17 with the swelling over the years.

02:05:21 So this started so many years ago.

02:05:23 And because this disease also comes

02:05:26 with a lot of stigmatization,

02:05:28 social exclusion and rejection,

02:05:29 people tend to hide their conditions.

02:05:32 - Okay.

02:05:32 - And again, until recently, when we started

02:05:35 building capacity of health workers

02:05:39 to provide care for these patients,

02:05:42 they would go to health facilities

02:05:43 and would not get the needed care.

02:05:45 And therefore, most of these patients

02:05:47 have been hiding in their corners,

02:05:50 trying to do one thing or the other.

02:05:52 But now that we have the capacities out there,

02:05:54 when we went out looking for them,

02:05:56 they came up because they know there is care for them now.

02:06:00 - Okay.

02:06:01 - And that is why they came out

02:06:03 and we saw these huge numbers.

02:06:05 - What is the favorable condition

02:06:07 for the agent mosquito to thrive?

02:06:10 - The availability of fresh water.

02:06:15 - Okay.

02:06:18 - So as we have the dams, we have the many ponds.

02:06:21 Also we have irrigation projects.

02:06:23 Kapa East has two big irrigation projects.

02:06:26 The Tono Irrigation that is founded in Navrongo

02:06:31 serves the Kasana Ndankana and then the Busa areas.

02:06:36 We also have the Via Irrigation Project

02:06:38 that also serve the Bongo and the Boga areas.

02:06:41 And there are also many dams around.

02:06:43 So even if you relate to malaria,

02:06:46 these areas again have very high incidence of malaria

02:06:50 across the country.

02:06:51 So they are among the regions with the highest,

02:06:53 it's the region with the highest numbers

02:06:56 when it comes to malaria incidence.

02:06:59 And the relationship with the mosquito

02:07:01 also leads to these high numbers we are seeing

02:07:04 with regards to lymphatic filariasis.

02:07:07 So it's not to do with the people,

02:07:10 it's not to do with the tribe,

02:07:11 it's not to do with the food that they eat,

02:07:13 or it's not to do with anything.

02:07:15 It's just that the factors are favorable for transmission.

02:07:21 And that is why we see such high numbers.

02:07:23 And the disease is quite focal.

02:07:25 So once you have an individual living with the parasites

02:07:30 in him or her, and then you have the mosquitoes available

02:07:33 to pick and then spread,

02:07:35 and the likelihood of first spread is very high.

02:07:40 - Let me bring in Solomon Atimbere here.

02:07:43 He is Programs Manager, American Leprosy Mission.

02:07:46 Solomon, I'm sure you've listened to Bright.

02:07:49 And his explanation on why we do have

02:07:53 the elephantiasis cases in Upper West.

02:07:56 I'm sure what he says means that

02:08:01 it is not a cause or a source of worry, isn't it?

02:08:04 - Well, good morning to our listeners.

02:08:11 I would say it's not a source of worry.

02:08:16 What is not a source of worry

02:08:17 is the fact that the Ghana Health Service

02:08:19 have worked over the years to interrupt transmission.

02:08:24 So in terms of new people getting the infection,

02:08:30 that may not be a worry for now.

02:08:33 But those who have already gotten the disease,

02:08:36 like he explained earlier, the damage has been done,

02:08:40 and the people who have the conditions needs to be managed.

02:08:44 And that's a source of worry.

02:08:45 And that's why you are hearing this news

02:08:49 at this point in time.

02:08:50 So yes, transmission might have been interrupted.

02:08:54 So there won't be new cases.

02:08:56 But those hundreds of people who are infected

02:09:00 and who have had the manifestation of various conditions

02:09:03 like the hydrocell and the lymphedema,

02:09:06 they have to live with it for the rest of their life,

02:09:09 except the hydrocell that surgical interventions

02:09:12 can't cure them.

02:09:15 So there's no--

02:09:16 - So how can we therefore care for these numbers,

02:09:20 those who have already gotten it,

02:09:22 and it looks like we don't have any intervention for them?

02:09:25 - Well, I will not say we don't have any intervention.

02:09:31 If you listen to Bright very well,

02:09:33 currently we are having some training for the people

02:09:38 to be able to manage their condition.

02:09:41 - No, no, no, I am asking in terms of the people

02:09:45 who cannot, with whom we cannot really undertake

02:09:48 a surgery operation to get the disease off.

02:09:51 For example, those with the legs and all of them.

02:09:54 I'm asking how do we care for them?

02:09:56 Because for them, we cannot undertake surgery

02:09:59 and get the issue off them.

02:10:01 - Yes, so what we are currently doing

02:10:06 is management of their conditions.

02:10:08 So we're training them on how to take care

02:10:13 of their conditions, do daily washing, exercise,

02:10:16 various packages that they need to keep in mind

02:10:21 and practice so they can keep their conditions

02:10:24 at a reasonable level.

02:10:25 They can avoid infections,

02:10:28 better infections or opportunistic infections.

02:10:31 Then they can also keep the limbs quite reasonable sizes

02:10:36 so they can take part in economic activities.

02:10:41 So those interventions are currently ongoing

02:10:45 with Ghana Health Service leading,

02:10:47 American Leprosy Mission,

02:10:48 and then Christian Foundation for International Health

02:10:53 supporting with the little resources that we have.

02:10:57 So these trainings and capacity building can take place.

02:11:02 So these are the interventions that we are carrying out.

02:11:06 It is not something that can cure the condition forever,

02:11:10 but you can manage the condition in such a way

02:11:13 that you can begin to see reversal of the size of the limb.

02:11:18 - Oh, okay.

02:11:19 It is good then,

02:11:24 if you see a reversal of the size of the limb,

02:11:26 then that's good.

02:11:27 - Let me make a point that even though when you manage it

02:11:34 the right way that the professionals are teaching them,

02:11:39 they can notice reversals in the size of the limb,

02:11:43 but it is not something that will go away.

02:11:45 When we say reversal,

02:11:46 we are talking about the fact that the limbs being so huge,

02:11:51 so if they do it well,

02:11:53 the limbs becomes lighter for them to be able to move around.

02:11:57 So you may still see the limb being big,

02:11:59 but in terms of the weight, it becomes lighter.

02:12:05 The limb system will start functioning much more,

02:12:10 and therefore you will not have

02:12:12 so much accumulation of weight

02:12:14 that makes the limb so heavy to be able to move around.

02:12:18 So that is it.

02:12:20 - So it means that for newborn babies,

02:12:26 are there things we need to do to ensure

02:12:27 that they do not get exposed to some of these things?

02:12:33 - Well, I think Bright would have spoken about that,

02:12:37 but for newborn babies,

02:12:40 you know this condition is prevented

02:12:45 through the Mass Drug Administration,

02:12:48 that the Ghana Health Service,

02:12:50 the Neglected Tertiary Care Disease Program

02:12:52 has been carrying out over the years.

02:12:56 So once we don't,

02:12:59 there's no drug that is administered to baby as such,

02:13:02 but you might obtain a certain age

02:13:06 and it is provided with height.

02:13:09 So once your height is within the acceptable level,

02:13:14 you are provided with a drug and then you take it.

02:13:17 And once you start taking those drugs,

02:13:21 you will prevent any microcalaria in your system

02:13:26 that will cause this damage.

02:13:28 But as he said, we hope that for those districts

02:13:33 that interruption of transmission has been interrupted,

02:13:36 what it means is that people are no longer carrying

02:13:39 the active, the microcalaria

02:13:44 that the mosquito will bite and pick

02:13:46 and then give it to another person.

02:13:48 So hopefully newborn babies won't stand the risk

02:13:53 if those districts have been interrupted.

02:13:56 - Okay, so Bright, for the remaining district

02:14:00 that you've not been able to interrupt,

02:14:03 what are these so that, I mean, if you are there,

02:14:06 you have to seek for the right advice

02:14:09 from the health officers to ensure that you're protected?

02:14:13 - Yeah, so we have Elembele in the Western region,

02:14:21 we have Sunani West in Bono,

02:14:24 we have Bole and Sola Tunakaba in Savannah

02:14:28 and Elora in Napa West.

02:14:30 So these ones we have been doing the treatment

02:14:32 for many years and we are getting there.

02:14:35 That's that it is slow, but two new ones

02:14:38 that we identified just last year,

02:14:41 Awenti and then Nkranza South.

02:14:44 And we've also started the Mass Drug Administration.

02:14:47 And we continue to do the Mass Drug Administration,

02:14:50 we carry out social mobilization for people

02:14:52 to understand the risk so that they can participate

02:14:57 in the exercises.

02:14:58 Many a time for these neglected diseases,

02:15:01 people see them very far from them.

02:15:03 People think that they cannot get this kind of condition

02:15:07 and therefore even when volunteers move around

02:15:09 with medicines to give to the people in their own homes,

02:15:14 some people still refuse

02:15:15 because they don't see the risk of getting it.

02:15:18 And it is something that we are working on,

02:15:19 we've been doing social mobilization,

02:15:22 we've been showing videos for people to see the real risk

02:15:25 that is there so they can participate

02:15:27 in the free treatment that we are offering.

02:15:30 And as Solomon said, our aim is to clear the parasite

02:15:35 from the system.

02:15:37 So in future mosquitoes would be there,

02:15:39 but they will bite and they will not find the parasite

02:15:43 to take and then give to another person.

02:15:45 So the young ones that are being born,

02:15:47 once you're able to interrupt the transmission,

02:15:49 they don't stand the risk of getting infected.

02:15:53 And that is how we go about it.

02:15:58 And now our biggest problem is those that are living

02:16:01 with the condition, what do we do for them?

02:16:04 And that is why we are building the capacity

02:16:06 across the regions so health workers would be able

02:16:09 to provide the needed care so they can have improved

02:16:13 quality of life and also increase productivity.

02:16:19 So these are the things that we are working very hard on.

02:16:22 And one side that we also want support

02:16:25 from the general public is the fact that, as I said,

02:16:29 most of these patients,

02:16:30 it's because they no longer carry the parasite.

02:16:33 The damage has occurred.

02:16:34 The parasite is gone.

02:16:37 The people rather fear these ones than you and I

02:16:40 that are not showing any sign of swelling,

02:16:43 but rather most of the individuals

02:16:46 that don't have any swelling are those

02:16:48 that have the parasite.

02:16:50 And therefore the fear that we have for these people

02:16:54 is in a way misplaced.

02:16:56 It's you and I that sometimes even block

02:16:58 when the medicines come, that should be feared.

02:17:00 - Oh, okay.

02:17:01 - You go close to them, you are not going to,

02:17:03 they don't even have the parasites anymore.

02:17:04 They have suffered the damage

02:17:05 and they are living with the damage.

02:17:07 So people associating with these patients

02:17:11 will not get the infection just by getting close

02:17:14 to these patients.

02:17:15 And they need our support.

02:17:17 They need the support of everybody

02:17:19 because some even sell

02:17:21 and people wouldn't want to buy from them.

02:17:23 Some lose their jobs, some lose their marriages.

02:17:26 And it brings about huge mental health effects

02:17:31 on these patients because if they're not taken,

02:17:34 the person can even get depressed

02:17:36 and other related consequences can also come about.

02:17:41 And therefore they need our support.

02:17:44 We all need to be there for them.

02:17:45 We are not going to get the infection from them

02:17:48 by relating, by doing other things.

02:17:51 And as I said, it is only through mosquito bites.

02:17:54 The mosquito might, must bite somebody

02:17:57 that carries the parasites, which could be,

02:18:00 which mostly are individuals

02:18:02 that are not showing any swelling.

02:18:04 - Okay.

02:18:05 - Those are people should fear.

02:18:06 So they need our love, they need our care and support

02:18:10 so they can live meaningful life.

02:18:12 - So you still do go about administering these drugs

02:18:15 in those districts that still do have it, right?

02:18:18 - Yes, we just finished last month, last July,

02:18:24 we did another round of mass drug administration

02:18:26 in all the districts that are yet to interrupt the transition

02:18:31 but we continue to also do assessment

02:18:33 to check whether the infection levels

02:18:35 are coming down or not.

02:18:37 And if they are not coming down,

02:18:38 we also try to check what factors are leading

02:18:41 to such persistence of transmission

02:18:44 so we can address them.

02:18:45 So we are working hard to ensure that in no time

02:18:49 we are able to interrupt transmission.

02:18:52 But the bridge also has it that

02:18:54 because countries are not paying so much attention

02:18:57 to the individuals already living with the conditions,

02:19:00 they've added the fact that we need to put in place systems

02:19:04 to take care of the patients

02:19:06 so that wherever they find themselves, they can get care.

02:19:09 Just as you have malaria,

02:19:10 you walk into any chip compound, you can get care.

02:19:13 So they want to see this happening for them.

02:19:17 So we do that even if we interrupt transmission

02:19:19 from everywhere, we will not be certified

02:19:22 to have eliminated the disease.

02:19:23 And therefore we are working very hard

02:19:25 to also help these patients that have unfortunately,

02:19:29 that are unfortunately having these swellings

02:19:35 that are affecting their daily lives.

02:19:37 - So in the district that you have interrupted

02:19:40 this transmission, what is the possibility

02:19:44 of re-emergence of the disease?

02:19:48 - Yes, so the process is that after you determine

02:19:55 that you've been able to interrupt transmission

02:19:58 and you stop the treatment,

02:19:59 you still don't pack your bag and baggage and leave.

02:20:02 You put in place severance and you do this for five years.

02:20:08 So if within these five years that you are not treating,

02:20:12 you do periodic assessments

02:20:15 and active transmission is not picking up,

02:20:18 then you can say that the interruption has been sustained

02:20:23 and then you start preparing your disease for certification.

02:20:28 - Incredible, that's why it's been some time

02:20:35 I got the drug in my district

02:20:37 because it used to come, they will measure your height

02:20:40 and then they will give you the drug for you to take.

02:20:43 Let's see how it goes.

02:20:45 - This is the...

02:20:47 - Hunter West, I mean, I used to take that.

02:20:50 - Yes, Hunter West, yes, just last year

02:20:53 we were able to interrupt transmission.

02:20:55 So yeah, we had a hell of time interrupting

02:20:58 in Hunter West, but thankfully last year

02:21:00 we succeeded in interrupting the transmission over there.

02:21:03 - Oh, okay.

02:21:04 - And Hunter West is also another district

02:21:06 with very heavy numbers of individuals

02:21:11 living with this condition.

02:21:12 And we've worked over the years

02:21:14 and thankfully we've been able to stop the spread.

02:21:16 And we are also doing surgeries

02:21:18 for those with the high risk cells.

02:21:19 And we're also helping those with the limb swellings

02:21:23 to manage them so that they can have improved quality of life.

02:21:26 - When we were young, we thought it was

02:21:28 because we are in a coastal district.

02:21:31 That's why this was coming.

02:21:32 So we're told that this is a coastal phenomenon.

02:21:37 I didn't know that it could even go

02:21:38 to the interior part of the country

02:21:40 where they are far from the coast.

02:21:42 So it is not as though this is a coastal issue, right?

02:21:46 - No, yes.

02:21:48 So it's along the coast in the middle belt

02:21:51 and also in the Savannah areas.

02:21:54 Yes, we have it all over the country.

02:21:55 - Okay, all right.

02:21:58 So what is the plan to ensure that the district

02:22:02 that are yet to have the transmission,

02:22:05 how do you call it, interrupted,

02:22:08 successfully interrupted,

02:22:09 and then the new ones that you've identified,

02:22:10 you are able to deal with that?

02:22:12 - Yes, because we have treated in these districts

02:22:17 for many years, we expected that by now

02:22:19 we should have achieved the interruption.

02:22:22 So we are trying to, we've done various studies

02:22:26 to understand why it's been quite slow in these places.

02:22:30 So we have upped our game

02:22:34 as far as social mobilization is concerned.

02:22:37 We are showing videos to get people participate

02:22:40 in this exercise.

02:22:41 And again, the work by the National Malaria Elimination

02:22:45 Program also helps our cause because the same vector

02:22:50 that we are talking about.

02:22:51 So as people receive the treated mosquito nets,

02:22:54 we expect them to use them for that purpose

02:22:57 and sleep under them.

02:22:59 So once you prevent the mosquito bite,

02:23:02 you are also preventing getting infection

02:23:07 with the lymphatic pleuriasis.

02:23:10 So we are still doing the treatment

02:23:12 and we are trying hard to make sure

02:23:14 that the treatment coverage is very high.

02:23:17 And the few individuals that have persistently refused

02:23:22 to participate, those persistent noncompliance,

02:23:26 we are also talking to them to let them understand

02:23:28 the risk that they are posing to the whole community.

02:23:32 So we are trying to pick all the points

02:23:36 where the problems are and addressing them accordingly.

02:23:41 So we are continuing with the treatment,

02:23:43 social mobilization, and we are encouraging people

02:23:46 to participate so that just as others have been able

02:23:49 to interrupt, they can also be there.

02:23:51 So we can protect ourselves

02:23:52 and protect the future generation.

02:23:55 - Okay.

02:23:56 All right, Bright Alomatu, I'm grateful for joining us here.

02:24:01 Solomon Atimbere, I'll give you the last words

02:24:03 before we conclude this discussion.

02:24:06 - Yes, so to reemphasize the point Bright made earlier,

02:24:12 that these people need our support.

02:24:16 We don't need to discriminate against them.

02:24:20 You cannot get the disease by physical contact

02:24:24 and therefore let's include them.

02:24:26 And they are so vulnerable to the standard,

02:24:28 our government has a special package to support them

02:24:33 in terms of most of the government initiative,

02:24:35 the LEAP, for instance, we want to appeal

02:24:38 to the agencies responsible to consider these people

02:24:41 as vulnerable people who are not able to take part

02:24:46 in economic activities to be able to support their daily life.

02:24:49 So roping them into the LEAP will be a good starting point.

02:24:55 So, and then we use your medium to also appeal

02:24:59 to the general public to always come in

02:25:02 to support these vulnerable people in society.

02:25:06 - Okay.

02:25:07 - Thank you for the opportunity.

02:25:08 - All right, grateful.

02:25:09 Solomon Atimbere is the programs manager

02:25:11 for the American Leprosy Promotions, okay.

02:25:15 And this is still the AM show,

02:25:18 but we'll talk about a push

02:25:19 in double-sign STEM enrollment.

02:25:21 The education ministry says this initiative is to educate

02:25:24 and sensitize the public on the prospect

02:25:27 of pursuing science and STEM related courses,

02:25:29 demystifying the learning of science and STEM

02:25:32 and leading to increased enrollment

02:25:34 in our respective senior high schools across the country.

02:25:37 An interesting, you know, project or program

02:25:41 or policy being undertaken by the ministry.

02:25:44 And I'm excited by this, but what are the details?

02:25:47 We'll have them here on the AM show right after this break.

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02:26:18 All right, so welcome back to the AM show.

02:26:20 Let's talk about something very interesting.

02:26:22 You know, recently the study of science

02:26:25 and science related programs has become quite interesting

02:26:29 because of, you know, the turn of,

02:26:31 they call it the fourth revolution,

02:26:34 'cause now it's either robotics

02:26:37 or you know things about aerospace,

02:26:40 you know much about the science, technology,

02:26:44 engineering and mathematics programs.

02:26:46 That is what is controlling the world now.

02:26:48 Even today we're in AI.

02:26:50 It's all born out of the sciences.

02:26:51 So a lot more, you know,

02:26:54 concentration has been given to that area.

02:26:57 Now the education ministry says we want to ensure

02:27:00 that we bridge the gap between the STEM science courses

02:27:03 and the non-sciences.

02:27:04 How are we gonna do that?

02:27:06 We have to ensure that the public really understands

02:27:09 what is at stake here.

02:27:10 So today to help us understand the new direction

02:27:13 of the education ministry's policy in science and STEM

02:27:17 is the PRO of the ministry, Kweisi Kwatin.

02:27:21 Good morning, Kweisi.

02:27:22 - Good morning, Kweiji, how are you?

02:27:24 - I'm good, I'm good.

02:27:25 I was gonna ask you at the same, but yeah, it's fine.

02:27:27 (laughing)

02:27:30 All right, Kweisi didn't come here alone.

02:27:33 He came with the National STEM Coordinator

02:27:35 in charge of physics at GES, David Bower.

02:27:40 So, Bower, good morning.

02:27:41 - Good morning.

02:27:42 - How you doing, sir?

02:27:43 - Oh, God, I'm good.

02:27:43 - Physics was one of my, you know,

02:27:45 interesting courses when I was in school.

02:27:48 We started learning physics when we were in second term,

02:27:51 second year, third term, because the university said,

02:27:55 if you don't, because I was doing agric.

02:27:56 They said, if you don't do physics and chemistry

02:27:59 or electric maths, you can't go to the university.

02:28:01 So we had to start, but it was an interesting course

02:28:03 and I loved it.

02:28:04 - Very. - Very, very.

02:28:05 And that's why I got interested in the science area.

02:28:08 But, Kweisi, why this?

02:28:11 Why are we now getting to say, let's do science?

02:28:14 But even before we get there, let's understand

02:28:16 the gap between the sciences

02:28:17 and the non-science related courses.

02:28:19 - All right, so, I mean, just by way of also introduction,

02:28:23 I'm also a science student.

02:28:24 - Oh, okay.

02:28:25 - I read science from Conongwud Massey.

02:28:28 - Okay.

02:28:28 - Then proceeded to UDS,

02:28:29 where I also read health science education.

02:28:32 - Oh.

02:28:32 - And at some point I felt that my science background

02:28:35 is almost being lost.

02:28:37 So I had to also even, also study another area of science

02:28:42 in occupational health and environmental safety.

02:28:43 - Oh, okay.

02:28:44 - But for now, I've moved from sciences

02:28:46 to the analogous and humanities.

02:28:48 (laughing)

02:28:49 But maybe someday I may have to visit science.

02:28:54 But I'm a purely science student.

02:28:56 All my adult life has been through science education

02:28:59 until recently.

02:29:00 Anyway, so, I mean, back to the substantive question.

02:29:03 The reason we are here.

02:29:04 Largely, you have to situate this

02:29:08 within global trends and in development

02:29:12 and the suggestion that it possess.

02:29:14 That at the end of the day, if we look at it clearly,

02:29:16 there's a strong correlation between education

02:29:19 and socioeconomic transformation

02:29:21 and the fact that national development.

02:29:23 And if you are listening to the Minister for Education,

02:29:25 Dr. El-Seddigme, has always insisted that education

02:29:27 largely centered on three key variables.

02:29:30 You look at access, you look at quality,

02:29:32 and then you look at relevance.

02:29:33 Relevance in the sense that there have to be

02:29:36 impact of education on socioeconomic transformation.

02:29:39 But the point is that what is the content of education

02:29:43 that you are providing to your people

02:29:44 that can, at the end of the day,

02:29:46 have a correspondence that will inure

02:29:48 to the benefits of the country

02:29:49 so that we will be seeing that socioeconomic transformation

02:29:52 that we are having.

02:29:53 It presupposes that as a country,

02:29:56 we have to move from, I mean,

02:29:58 the era where education was only read and write

02:30:01 and then get into the era where we can indeed

02:30:04 use education to transform our

02:30:06 socioeconomic transformation.

02:30:07 What it essentially means is that the human capital,

02:30:10 the human resources that we are really preparing

02:30:12 have to be that kind of capital,

02:30:15 that kind of human resource.

02:30:16 That means the 21st century demands.

02:30:19 I mean, you will recall,

02:30:20 if you look at the first industrial revolution

02:30:22 where we had the development of steam engine,

02:30:26 where the steam engine propelled machines

02:30:29 to be able to advance manufacturing

02:30:31 and then transition world economies

02:30:33 from agricultural economy to industrial,

02:30:35 and Ghana was left out.

02:30:36 - We, yeah.

02:30:37 The whole of the African continent.

02:30:39 - Yeah, the whole of African continent was left out.

02:30:40 At every point, looking at the second industrial revolution

02:30:44 where electricity was produced,

02:30:46 mass production, industrialization,

02:30:47 we also left out.

02:30:48 The third industrial revolution,

02:30:50 the whole of African continent,

02:30:51 like we already even indicated,

02:30:53 we're just at the consumption side.

02:30:55 Just facilitating other economies to be rich.

02:30:58 What it means is that if Microsoft

02:31:00 is able to design a computer,

02:31:02 we will only be buying it.

02:31:03 - Exactly.

02:31:04 - I mean, giving them money.

02:31:05 But it is about time that within

02:31:07 this fourth industrial revolution,

02:31:09 as a people, we have to make a conscious effort

02:31:11 not to miss out.

02:31:12 Interestingly, if you look at, for instance,

02:31:14 enrollment of science to other humanities program

02:31:18 in the SHS level, it's around just 12%.

02:31:20 - Oh, wow.

02:31:21 - As compared to 80% in humanities.

02:31:23 - Wow, at the senior high school?

02:31:24 - Yes, 12.

02:31:25 And if you want to even take the breakdown,

02:31:27 if you go to places like the Northern region,

02:31:29 it's 4%.

02:31:31 - Wow.

02:31:31 - And so it is not only sad,

02:31:33 but it is terrible.

02:31:34 - What about the tertiary level?

02:31:36 - The tertiary level is 40 to 60.

02:31:38 - Oh, 40%.

02:31:39 - Yeah, 40%.

02:31:40 But of course, it should rather be the reverse.

02:31:43 The reverse should rather reflect what is here.

02:31:45 It should rather be 60 and 40,

02:31:47 especially when you are having a conversation

02:31:49 within the context of the 21st century.

02:31:51 And so the Ministry of Education,

02:31:53 as part of efforts to reposition

02:31:55 and realign Ghana's education,

02:31:56 is embarking on this massive STEM campaign

02:31:59 and create that level of awareness.

02:32:01 And say, "Hey, look, within the 21st century,

02:32:04 "where we are training students to be critical,

02:32:06 "to be assertive, to be problem solvers,

02:32:09 "the deal and the big deal

02:32:10 "and the order of the day has to be STEM."

02:32:12 And so against this background,

02:32:14 I mean, the Ministry of Education

02:32:15 is taking this bold initiative

02:32:16 so that we're able to close the gap.

02:32:18 And not necessarily closing the gap,

02:32:20 but closing the gap so that at the end of the day,

02:32:22 you have education,

02:32:24 producing the right quality of education

02:32:26 so that you have education

02:32:28 in order to the benefits of the people.

02:32:29 So that relevance component,

02:32:32 of course, when it comes to access

02:32:33 from the basic level,

02:32:34 we don't have so much of a challenge.

02:32:36 At the secondary level,

02:32:37 there's not so much of challenge.

02:32:38 Even at the tertiary level,

02:32:39 not so much of a challenge.

02:32:41 So in terms of access, fine.

02:32:43 But then the two fundamental questions is what quality.

02:32:46 What is the content of education

02:32:48 that you are providing to your people?

02:32:49 Is it just reading and writing?

02:32:50 Is it memorization?

02:32:51 And the minister rightly indicated

02:32:52 that you cannot memorize yourself out of poverty.

02:32:55 You have to provide education that solves problems.

02:32:58 I mean, look at somebody like Isdum Layo.

02:33:00 He's, I mean, somebody that I admire from afar

02:33:02 and I model.

02:33:04 And I feel that we must always,

02:33:05 always, I mean, reference him in conversations like this.

02:33:09 The level of education that he had,

02:33:11 he did not say that I'm just gonna look

02:33:12 for a quiet college job,

02:33:13 but he used to identify a social societal problem

02:33:17 in the area of filth.

02:33:18 Now I'm gonna clean filth.

02:33:20 When you do that,

02:33:21 when you train your people

02:33:22 with that set of kind of mentality,

02:33:24 what it means-- - You provide a solution.

02:33:25 - Exactly, they provide solutions.

02:33:27 And that solution, I mean, bingo.

02:33:29 It turns into something big.

02:33:31 And then it provides employment, jobs,

02:33:33 and then the socioeconomic transformation

02:33:35 that you people want as the country develops.

02:33:37 So our aim is to, I mean,

02:33:39 particularly within this enrollment period

02:33:41 where we'll be placing students within the SHS,

02:33:44 is to move it consciously from 12% to around 25%.

02:33:49 - You're using the placement system to do this?

02:33:52 - Yes. - Okay.

02:33:53 - By encouraging a lot of students to sell.

02:33:54 Of course, we are unable to impose

02:33:56 which program is-- - Are you targeting

02:33:58 those who just wrote the BEC?

02:34:00 - Yes. - Or this is,

02:34:01 those who just wrote the BEC?

02:34:01 - Yes, we are starting from them.

02:34:03 - Oh, okay, they are now going to do

02:34:04 their school selections?

02:34:06 - Yes. - Oh, okay.

02:34:07 Okay, interesting.

02:34:08 But I hope the STEM won't be the usual,

02:34:12 as I sit here, I can clearly remember titration.

02:34:14 - Chemistry. - Yes.

02:34:16 (laughing)

02:34:17 I can remember measuring ohms law using the,

02:34:22 we had a certain wire on there,

02:34:24 and then ask for that icon.

02:34:26 But when it comes to the one that I read,

02:34:29 they say, "What is atom?

02:34:30 "What is blah, blah, blah, blah?"

02:34:32 - Molecular. - You know, I can't really.

02:34:35 So is it still the usual test book,

02:34:39 or we've now said let's transition

02:34:42 into making it more practicable?

02:34:44 - Thank you very much.

02:34:46 Let me greet Honorable Minister, Dr. Yao Sebe.

02:34:50 And also, the Director General of UES,

02:34:56 and the person of Dr. Eric Nkansah,

02:34:58 and the entire management staff.

02:35:00 And also the Free SHS Secretary Team,

02:35:05 and my immediate director, Mrs. Olivia Sawapare,

02:35:08 in charge of STEM education in Ghana.

02:35:10 Well, looking at the teaching of science now,

02:35:16 it has not actually departed from that old way

02:35:23 that we know, but we are moving gradually

02:35:27 from that traditional way of teaching

02:35:31 to activity-based teaching now.

02:35:34 So sciences in the schools have gotten a lot of equipments

02:35:39 and resources that we are moving

02:35:45 from the traditional way of teaching to practical base now.

02:35:50 So when you go to the schools now,

02:35:52 the learners there are so curious.

02:35:57 That most of them are even using

02:36:00 their own extracurricular activities

02:36:03 to do certain things that are outside

02:36:06 the curriculum that we have.

02:36:07 And that tells you that we need to actually move totally

02:36:11 from the traditional way of teaching

02:36:13 to the 21st century way of learning.

02:36:18 If you look at schools like McGee's,

02:36:22 or FIACUBI--

02:36:25 - Is that where they develop the miniature--

02:36:27 - Where the girls develop the airplane.

02:36:30 - Yeah, the plane. - Yes.

02:36:31 - It's actually a drone.

02:36:32 - It's a drone. - Yes.

02:36:33 - But it's a big one.

02:36:35 - What's the name of the school?

02:36:37 - FIACUBI. - FIACUBI.

02:36:38 - Yes, the Asante region.

02:36:40 Recently, they've also made another one, a boat,

02:36:43 which is remotely controlled.

02:36:45 - Oh, okay. - It can move on water.

02:36:47 You see, so all these things,

02:36:51 you will not see it anywhere in the curriculum,

02:36:54 but they have that zeal and curiosity

02:36:58 to research and come out with those products.

02:37:03 That tells you that when the curriculum is totally moved

02:37:06 from the traditional way to where the minister

02:37:10 is now wants us to move to, in that direction,

02:37:14 our learners today can do better.

02:37:18 - I guess that's the focus of the new curriculum then.

02:37:21 - Yeah, the new curriculum,

02:37:24 for the basic, that is the junior high,

02:37:27 the old one fits just the last batch recently.

02:37:32 They would use the old curriculum,

02:37:35 but the beginning next year, the new curriculum,

02:37:39 that is the standard-based curriculum,

02:37:41 is going to be in operational beginning next year.

02:37:44 - Okay, if that's the case, let's talk about logistics.

02:37:46 - I mean, just let me add something there.

02:37:48 So with regards to the curriculum,

02:37:49 I mean, if you look at the basic level,

02:37:51 that is from primary one up to primary six,

02:37:54 the standard-based curriculum is already in operation.

02:37:57 It is a common core that I'm sure he was referring to.

02:38:00 So the common core, I think the form ones

02:38:03 have already started it.

02:38:06 It is those that went out that still use it.

02:38:08 - Use the old one.

02:38:09 - So largely, the gradual process of fading out

02:38:14 the old curriculum, even up to the JHS level, is in effect.

02:38:19 - Well, so I was gonna ask about logistics

02:38:21 because just last week, we're having a discussion

02:38:23 about books, that the new curriculum is there,

02:38:26 but they don't have books for it.

02:38:27 So once we are gonna do STEM, how readily prepared

02:38:32 are we in terms of logistics?

02:38:34 - Well, I mean, let me take the book one.

02:38:36 So yes, of course, at every point

02:38:40 when there is an introduction of curriculum,

02:38:44 obviously it has to tally with the provision of books.

02:38:48 And the standard-based curriculum came in at some point.

02:38:52 What the ministry did was to provide teachers

02:38:55 and learners resource packs to the students,

02:38:58 whilst processes in terms of procurement,

02:39:00 in terms of all publishing processes,

02:39:02 how do you call it, quality assurance mechanisms

02:39:05 are put in place to print the books.

02:39:07 As I speak to you, within the standard-based curriculum,

02:39:11 books has been sent to the schools.

02:39:13 And those are, largely, let me categorize--

02:39:16 - All the schools?

02:39:17 - I'm coming, I'm coming there

02:39:18 because I have personally visited the schools

02:39:20 and I'm gonna give you a report here.

02:39:22 It's likely could be a breaking news.

02:39:24 So what has happened is that we engage publishers

02:39:27 and let me put it within a context

02:39:29 like, say, the foundational subjects,

02:39:33 i.e. English, mathematics, science, and creative arts.

02:39:37 Publishers have already printed the books

02:39:39 and distribution have gone.

02:39:41 Of course, they left with the other subjects

02:39:43 like, say, French, tree, I think our world,

02:39:48 there's a course--

02:39:49 - Our world, yeah.

02:39:50 - Our world, our people.

02:39:51 - Our people.

02:39:51 - Our people, our OAP.

02:39:53 - OAP.

02:39:54 - That we are also engaging publishers to distribute.

02:39:56 The challenge that we had when it comes to the distribution,

02:40:00 of course, I mean, I granted that one interview with Evans

02:40:03 and they pointed out that even those books

02:40:05 that we claim we've sent, they are not there.

02:40:08 So what the Minister for Education asks is that,

02:40:10 yes, first of all, indeed,

02:40:12 if you look at the GES official communication channel,

02:40:14 the feedback that we received as a ministry

02:40:17 from the original distribution channel

02:40:19 to the distribution channel is that we've had the books.

02:40:21 But of course, we are unable to rely on that alone,

02:40:24 particularly when, I mean,

02:40:25 the Lies of Joy has also brought it up that,

02:40:27 well, I mean, there could be some challenges

02:40:30 within the distribution.

02:40:31 So I personally randomly selected some districts.

02:40:34 I went to La Antanan, Madina, for instance.

02:40:38 I also went to the original office, for instance.

02:40:40 So what I noticed was that, I mean, let me put it,

02:40:44 this is, if you ask me, at certain level,

02:40:47 we just apply the common sense approach

02:40:49 with regards to the distribution.

02:40:50 Because I don't see the reason why, for instance,

02:40:53 there are two publishers for, let's say, English language.

02:40:56 In terms of the distribution,

02:40:58 you have the channels taking all the two different publishers

02:41:02 sending or distributing the same kind of,

02:41:05 let's say, within the same subject to the schools

02:41:08 instead of, for instance, one.

02:41:09 So the challenge that I saw

02:41:11 when I went to most of the schools was that,

02:41:13 for instance, a school of, say, 70 people,

02:41:16 in terms of English, publisher A, Kwesi Kwatin,

02:41:18 they send, let's say, 64 there.

02:41:21 And publisher B, Kwadwo Brice, they send five there.

02:41:25 So you go to the school, you ask of English,

02:41:27 you don't even know which of the books to use.

02:41:30 Most times, the teachers even prefer the,

02:41:33 the, I mean, the publisher with the very minority book.

02:41:36 I think there was one essential science.

02:41:39 They said they loved that book.

02:41:40 But they were just only nine copies

02:41:42 as compared to the other publishing house.

02:41:45 And so, yes, the media will go there,

02:41:47 they will find that there are only nine books.

02:41:49 Because that's what the teachers also prefer.

02:41:50 And indeed, nine books are there.

02:41:52 But if you take the totality of the entire books,

02:41:54 there are actually not nine.

02:41:55 What they essentially meant was,

02:41:57 is that from the GES distribution channel,

02:42:01 from the regional level,

02:42:02 in terms of dispatching and the distribution of the books,

02:42:05 shouldn't have mixed publishing houses,

02:42:07 two publishing houses to the same school,

02:42:09 or even in the same region.

02:42:11 So if publisher A should have probably been taken

02:42:13 to a central region,

02:42:14 publisher B to, let's say, greater region.

02:42:17 As soon as you mix them,

02:42:18 you are going to find the challenges

02:42:20 that you are witnessing in the schools.

02:42:22 What the minister have directed is that,

02:42:24 quickly, they should do redistribution of the books

02:42:27 to align with the various publishing houses,

02:42:30 particularly within the regions.

02:42:33 - But if you and I have sent books there,

02:42:35 and there are more than nine books,

02:42:38 why are the teachers saying that because we like nine,

02:42:40 the nine, I mean, the book that has nine copies,

02:42:45 we are going to tell the media that we have nine,

02:42:47 when in actual fact they have more than nine?

02:42:48 - No, so that's why I'm saying that--

02:42:50 - But why are the teachers even liking

02:42:52 the one with the nine and--

02:42:54 - No, you see, first of all, let me put it in this way.

02:42:57 One is a matter of preference.

02:43:00 And again, let me highlight that.

02:43:03 In the first place,

02:43:04 if you look at the standard-based curriculum,

02:43:07 it is not a curriculum that is textbook-centered.

02:43:09 Ordinarily, and I mean, this is an unofficial representation

02:43:13 or unofficial comment from me,

02:43:16 ordinarily, like countries like UK

02:43:19 that has even banned the use of textbooks,

02:43:21 a typical standard-based curriculum

02:43:24 should not have textbooks.

02:43:25 Because you see, the previous curriculum that we had

02:43:29 was textbook-centered.

02:43:31 What it essentially means, a teacher will come to class,

02:43:33 they open to page five of your English book,

02:43:35 open to page science of your science book and read.

02:43:38 That is not how we do science.

02:43:40 Within the standard-based curriculum,

02:43:42 if we are talking about pollution,

02:43:44 you allow students to create an atmosphere

02:43:48 or an environment which is pollution-free.

02:43:50 That is the main objective of the standard-based curriculum.

02:43:53 Within a standard-based curriculum,

02:43:55 textbooks are only supplementary reading materials

02:43:59 and references for the students, even in their booms.

02:44:03 It is only in Ghana that we may even want to,

02:44:05 I mean, do the hybrid way,

02:44:08 because maybe at Stanford we feel that

02:44:10 we cannot just transition just very sharply like that,

02:44:14 so then we should balance.

02:44:15 So even if you go to the schools now, as I speak with you,

02:44:18 one, ordinarily, a teacher should rely on syllables.

02:44:21 But beyond that, we've provided teachers

02:44:23 and learners resource packs,

02:44:24 which largely contains every content within the textbooks.

02:44:28 Of course, we also added the textbooks,

02:44:30 like I rightly indicated.

02:44:31 But I admit that within the GES distribution channels,

02:44:36 instead of, say, taking publisher A to a certain region,

02:44:40 they mix them.

02:44:41 And so you go to school, you see English books.

02:44:45 If you ask them, depending on teacher preference,

02:44:48 and of course, I don't want to impugn any intentions in it,

02:44:52 but a teacher will say, "We have only five."

02:44:54 You pull further, you ask of the inventory,

02:44:57 and you realize that there is another 64 sentences in there.

02:44:59 Again, I also want to admit that when I went there,

02:45:03 one of the observations that I also made

02:45:05 is also enrollment increase.

02:45:07 If you printed books last year and distributed,

02:45:11 this year, rationally, you have students

02:45:14 also joining most of the classes.

02:45:16 - So what you're saying is that--

02:45:17 - So you get to a school that--

02:45:19 - The teachers were telling the NACA boss

02:45:21 who was in their school that we don't have the books,

02:45:23 and the NACA boss was even saying that this is not approved.

02:45:26 You're saying that such a school would have the books,

02:45:29 but they are still using unapproved ones.

02:45:31 - No, I mean, these are two different questions.

02:45:33 - Okay, all right.

02:45:34 - So the first one--

02:45:35 - So it means that not all the schools have the books.

02:45:36 - No, the first question has to do with quantity.

02:45:39 That's what I've explained,

02:45:40 that it has the results of distribution,

02:45:42 at how to do the mess ups.

02:45:43 And the second one has to do with content or quality.

02:45:46 That is with regards to the approval.

02:45:48 You see, I mean, let's be real here.

02:45:50 - So not all the schools have the approved books,

02:45:52 like you said?

02:45:53 - Every school, with regards to their topics

02:45:56 or the subjects that I've mentioned.

02:45:57 - So English, Maths, Science, Creative Arts.

02:46:00 - Yes, all of them have the books.

02:46:01 The only challenge that I saw has to do with the mess ups

02:46:05 with regards to the publishing houses.

02:46:07 But in terms of the approved books and unapproved books,

02:46:10 I mean, you see, let's be very real and practical here.

02:46:14 You have some of the schools and their leadership

02:46:16 engaging a lot of time private publishing houses.

02:46:20 Oh, we are gonna give you these books, you try.

02:46:22 If you are interested,

02:46:23 you can encourage your students to get this.

02:46:25 I mean, those are all private arrangements

02:46:27 that we know could happen in this country.

02:46:29 Such books may not necessarily be approved by NACA.

02:46:33 But you see, for me, if you ask me,

02:46:35 I feel NACA should rather be commended

02:46:38 for even taking that step to go and identify

02:46:41 that there are even unapproved books.

02:46:43 What it essentially means is that

02:46:44 they are monitoring and supervising mechanism

02:46:47 is working well.

02:46:47 - I get it, but how do you--

02:46:49 - We've directed them to take steps

02:46:53 and take away that books.

02:46:55 But you see, I don't want the whole conversation

02:46:56 to be fixated on textbook, textbook.

02:46:58 - We are doing what we can.

02:46:59 - We came here to push them enrollment.

02:47:01 - So my question was--

02:47:02 - So I want them to stay out

02:47:03 because I know when I can ask you textbooks.

02:47:04 - So my question was that on the logistics for STEM

02:47:08 in terms of laboratories and what have you,

02:47:10 what is our state now?

02:47:11 - Good.

02:47:13 Now we have laboratories existing,

02:47:18 but because of the enrollment drive

02:47:23 that we are embarking on,

02:47:24 definitely there's going to be a pressure

02:47:26 on the few resources that we have.

02:47:30 Now there's that collaboration between the ministry

02:47:35 and SENDLOSS to provide mobile laboratories.

02:47:38 And also there have been a lot of equipments

02:47:44 that have been sent, distributed to the schools

02:47:47 not long ago, I think last two years and last year.

02:47:51 Substantial number of the senior high schools

02:47:54 got new equipment.

02:47:56 And there are also plans to supply new equipments

02:48:02 to schools that will increase their enrollment

02:48:08 in the sciences.

02:48:09 So in terms of logistics,

02:48:11 I think there are plans in place

02:48:13 to take care of the shortfalls of--

02:48:18 - I have a good news for him

02:48:20 because he is coming from,

02:48:20 no, on the logistics, just a quick one.

02:48:22 You saw the pictures that were shown.

02:48:24 The good news is that as I speak to you,

02:48:26 300 laboratories have been retooled and re-equipped.

02:48:31 - Yeah, across the country.

02:48:33 - Yes, throughout the country.

02:48:34 - 300? - 300.

02:48:35 And I mean, you are also aware of the STEM school

02:48:37 that has been operationalized.

02:48:39 Newly built senior high schools,

02:48:41 five of them has been operationalized this year

02:48:43 to within the school placements.

02:48:45 - So he didn't know about it?

02:48:46 - No, I'm aware about that.

02:48:48 - Okay.

02:48:49 - I'm aware about that.

02:48:49 - We are here to speak for the ministry.

02:48:52 At the end of the day,

02:48:53 we are to augment the information that we bring out.

02:48:55 I speak for the ministry.

02:48:56 So I should be in that position

02:48:57 to be able to give the good news out there.

02:49:00 - So the placement is gonna be that

02:49:05 you're gonna put students at where these laboratories are

02:49:07 or how is it gonna be done?

02:49:09 - No, the enrollment drive is geared towards

02:49:13 the category AMP schools.

02:49:15 - Oh, okay.

02:49:16 - So there are some students,

02:49:20 they actually want to do science in some schools,

02:49:25 but because of limited vacancies,

02:49:28 you see those students ending up doing general arts.

02:49:32 So you go to the school,

02:49:34 the management of the school will tell them that,

02:49:35 "No, we don't have space for the sciences."

02:49:38 But because the learners still want to be in the school,

02:49:41 we say, "Okay, I'll go for general arts

02:49:44 or any of the humanities programs and stay in the school."

02:49:48 So this time around, what we are saying is that

02:49:51 if you have about 200 students who wanted to do science,

02:49:56 but because of space,

02:49:58 they couldn't get that chance to do science,

02:50:00 why not convert that same 200?

02:50:02 Or that two general classes

02:50:06 that those who wanted to do science couldn't do

02:50:08 and went to general arts,

02:50:10 why can't we convert them to do science?

02:50:13 - Oh, okay, so maybe in school A,

02:50:15 - Good.

02:50:16 - I wanted to do science,

02:50:17 but because of space, I've been put in the art class.

02:50:18 - Good.

02:50:19 - You're saying that if I have like 50 of me,

02:50:22 you convert the 50 into a science class.

02:50:24 - Exactly.

02:50:25 So if you have about--

02:50:26 - Science vacancies, that's all.

02:50:28 - If you have, let's say--

02:50:29 - Increasing vacancies.

02:50:30 - Yeah, vacancies within the science and law.

02:50:32 - Okay, that's all.

02:50:33 - So let's say in a school,

02:50:34 they have about 12 classes doing general arts,

02:50:38 but within that 12 classes,

02:50:41 the data shows that about two classes of them

02:50:44 wanted to do science.

02:50:47 - Oh, does that, the data shows--

02:50:48 - Yes.

02:50:49 - Clearly that sometimes that is the situation, okay.

02:50:51 - Yes, so this time,

02:50:53 why not convert that two classes to science?

02:50:56 So that those who wanted to do science

02:50:58 will get the opportunity to do their science.

02:51:00 - Okay.

02:51:01 - So that is the plan.

02:51:03 So because of that,

02:51:05 there's going to be increasing vacancy declaration

02:51:10 for sciences.

02:51:12 So that the general art classes may reduce.

02:51:16 - Oh, okay.

02:51:17 - And then that space is given to the--

02:51:18 - So there's more like a deliberate plan

02:51:21 that you're going to embark upon.

02:51:23 - Yes.

02:51:24 - To say that let's get more sciences

02:51:26 than the non-science programs, okay.

02:51:30 And all of these schools will be retooled,

02:51:32 or will be tooled to--

02:51:33 - They have retooled, I mentioned that.

02:51:36 - All of them?

02:51:37 - Yes.

02:51:38 - So how many senior high schools do we have in Ghana?

02:51:38 You are saying that 300 of them.

02:51:39 - So we have, if you look at the SHS,

02:51:43 we have about 700 of them.

02:51:45 The T-BED is about 200 of them.

02:51:48 And so cumulatively, we are looking at about

02:51:50 a region of 900.

02:51:52 So of course, if you look at the 700,

02:51:54 it is not all of them that do not have,

02:51:56 I mean, modern stage of the art science laboratory.

02:52:00 - Okay.

02:52:01 - Some have.

02:52:02 So the existing ones that do not have,

02:52:04 we've selected about 300 of them

02:52:05 and we are retooling them.

02:52:07 When we look at, for instance,

02:52:09 so largely, schools within the category A and category B

02:52:13 will be given more science vacancy slots,

02:52:17 I mean, with regards to the enrollment

02:52:19 or the school placement.

02:52:21 Category C schools that, if you also look at their status,

02:52:24 that they are also able to do science,

02:52:28 particularly schools that have modern stage

02:52:31 science laboratories, they will also be considered.

02:52:33 So it is not an event.

02:52:35 It is a conscious process.

02:52:38 But we begin with the 300 laboratories that we currently--

02:52:43 - But the increased numbers that you're gonna have

02:52:47 will therefore mean that you need to have

02:52:48 the human resource to meet that.

02:52:50 - Sure.

02:52:50 - As a teacher ratio. - Sure.

02:52:51 - How prepared are you guys?

02:52:54 - The ministry has taken steps to recruit more.

02:52:57 And there are some areas where you see teachers,

02:53:02 the full complement of the science teachers,

02:53:05 but the enrollment there is very less.

02:53:08 There are some schools you may get,

02:53:10 it might be 20 students,

02:53:12 but with the full complement of sciences.

02:53:15 There are plans to see if those teachers

02:53:19 can be sent to where there's high pressure

02:53:22 in terms of enrollment of students.

02:53:24 So that arrangement is also there.

02:53:27 - There are more science graduates

02:53:28 that you need to employ to be part of the system.

02:53:30 - Khojo, I mean, you see,

02:53:32 one thing that we should also be proud,

02:53:35 I mean, as a people,

02:53:36 is also if we look at how the gains we've made

02:53:39 when it comes to the student-teacher ratio.

02:53:41 I mean, contrary to the news that was out there

02:53:44 that was 24,000 is to one,

02:53:46 that clearly is unrealistic.

02:53:48 24,000 students in where you reach classroom

02:53:51 is actually 15 is to one,

02:53:52 because you are having an excess of--

02:53:53 - 15 students is to one teacher?

02:53:55 - Yeah, at the SHS level.

02:53:56 - Oh, really?

02:53:57 - Yeah, 15 is to one.

02:53:58 Because you have around 85,000 teachers,

02:54:00 I'll confirm the figure for you before I leave,

02:54:02 but there's an excess of 85,000 teachers

02:54:05 divided by 1.3 million students.

02:54:08 That's 15 is to one.

02:54:09 If you look at TBET, it's even lower.

02:54:12 Because TBET, you're having around 11,000 teachers

02:54:15 as compared to the number of students.

02:54:18 I think that one is around 13 is to one.

02:54:20 I'll confirm for you before I leave the show.

02:54:22 So even the cumulative effect

02:54:24 still brings us to 15 is to one.

02:54:26 So it's one of the best that we have in Africa

02:54:28 and even the whole world, if you--

02:54:30 - If indeed it is one is to--

02:54:32 - I'm giving you the data.

02:54:33 I'm gonna give you the data before I leave.

02:54:34 - I want to see the data.

02:54:35 - I speak for the Ministry of Education.

02:54:37 Where is my phone?

02:54:38 I'm just bringing my phone.

02:54:39 - Okay, now for candidates who would wish

02:54:41 to enter into the OPSUD Science STEM program,

02:54:44 what kind of, what's the prospect that awaits them?

02:54:47 - Good.

02:54:48 Now when we talk of science,

02:54:51 when I liken it to the football matches or plays,

02:54:57 I would say science happens to be the number six.

02:55:00 You are a utility player.

02:55:02 You yourself, you just said you were a science student.

02:55:08 - Yeah.

02:55:09 - But now you are a journalist.

02:55:10 - Oh yeah, yeah, yeah.

02:55:11 - Yes.

02:55:13 That tells you that in fact when you read science,

02:55:16 you have a whole lot of environment to operate in.

02:55:21 So science students, they have a lot of opportunities.

02:55:29 Most often parents think that when you offer science,

02:55:34 you can only be a doctor,

02:55:35 you can only be an engineer or whatever.

02:55:37 - You can do a lot.

02:55:38 - Good, but science student can be a banker.

02:55:41 Science student can be an accountant.

02:55:45 - But how do they take advantage of this aerospace

02:55:47 and aviation?

02:55:48 Because I'm excited about that one.

02:55:49 - Yes, that is why this STEM is coming up strongly.

02:55:54 Now, the STEM, when we mention STEM,

02:55:57 the mind goes to the four dominated acronyms,

02:56:00 that is the science, technology, engineering,

02:56:03 and mathematics, but it goes beyond that.

02:56:05 Now, looking at our current curriculum,

02:56:09 it is preparing the learners to be critical thinkers

02:56:13 so that it will move them from that theoretical way

02:56:16 of learning to more practical.

02:56:20 We want to see students who will leave the walls

02:56:23 of the school and be able to come out with products

02:56:27 that will solve societal needs.

02:56:29 So if you go into sciences,

02:56:33 then you have the opportunity to become that engineer

02:56:37 that you want to be, you can become the pilot

02:56:41 that you want to be, aside the medicine

02:56:43 that people have their minds on.

02:56:46 Anytime we mention science, we have the ICT,

02:56:50 that is the technology aspect.

02:56:52 So when you take the science alone in the STEM,

02:56:56 that three, four components that are hidden,

02:56:58 chemistry, physics, biology, and agri-science,

02:57:01 they are not mentioned, but they are in there.

02:57:03 You talk about the technology,

02:57:05 that is where you get your AI,

02:57:06 you get your drone engineering,

02:57:10 you get your computing,

02:57:11 and all the rest about technology also there.

02:57:15 Then you have your engineering aspect

02:57:17 where you have the electrical engineering,

02:57:19 auto, mechanical, and whatever.

02:57:22 Then we have the mathematics,

02:57:24 which you talk about the elective mathematics

02:57:26 and also the core mathematics.

02:57:28 Aside that, when you take a particular topic in physics,

02:57:33 for example, energy,

02:57:34 we can look at renewable sources of energy,

02:57:39 and then learners can develop system

02:57:43 that will harness this renewable sources of energy.

02:57:46 In the process of developing the system,

02:57:49 you can still get the component of STEM

02:57:52 in that particular topic that you are developing the system.

02:57:56 'Cause if, let's say, you get your solar panels

02:57:59 and you want to set it up,

02:58:01 then engineering comes in, mathematics comes in,

02:58:04 that technology comes in.

02:58:05 Recently, when there was this energy competition,

02:58:10 you see technologies that learners

02:58:15 have been able to come up.

02:58:17 It will marvel you.

02:58:18 Very great ideas.

02:58:20 - So it means that the new academic year we're gonna enter,

02:58:23 we're gonna see students doing more practical things

02:58:28 in terms of STEM.

02:58:29 - Not new academic, it has started already.

02:58:31 - Oh, okay.

02:58:32 - It has started already.

02:58:32 - So if I go to my school,

02:58:33 will I see the kids doing some of these things?

02:58:35 - Sure, that is what the teacher should be doing now.

02:58:37 - If I mention my school to you,

02:58:38 you will be able to tell me that if I go there,

02:58:41 I'll see the kids doing that?

02:58:42 - That is what the--

02:58:43 - If that's the case, then I'll go there next week

02:58:44 and see what's happening.

02:58:45 - That is what the teacher should be doing now.

02:58:46 - Okay.

02:58:47 - And teachers that are not doing,

02:58:48 I can tell you there had been series of capacity buildings

02:58:52 to build the capacity of these teachers

02:58:55 to move from that traditional way of teaching

02:58:59 to the new way of learning.

02:59:01 So sometimes in most of our workshops,

02:59:04 we encourage them to actually use

02:59:07 this locally available materials,

02:59:09 convert them to solve societal needs.

02:59:14 So we have a lot of materials around,

02:59:18 but because some kind of ideas are lacking,

02:59:23 they are not able to do that.

02:59:25 But in most of our capacity building programs,

02:59:28 that is what we have been taking--

02:59:30 - So let me ask this question again.

02:59:31 You're saying that the materials or the resources needed

02:59:36 to ensure an effective implementation of STEM is in place.

02:59:41 And we're not gonna have any school say that

02:59:43 we don't have ABC and that's why we're not able

02:59:45 to teach STEM well.

02:59:47 - Yes.

02:59:47 - Are you aware of the STEM academies?

02:59:51 - Oh yeah, yeah, yeah.

02:59:52 I mean, they were having it.

02:59:53 Is it 12 or so?

02:59:55 - The STEM academies apparently is being constructed

02:59:58 nationwide, each region will have it.

03:00:01 But I recently went to the East Lagoon one,

03:00:03 which is, I mean, very near completion.

03:00:07 I'm sure you are also aware of the science resource centers.

03:00:10 - Yes.

03:00:11 - 20 of them which is being constructed in existing,

03:00:13 most of them senior high schools already in the country.

03:00:16 That even the communities can take advantage on.

03:00:19 You are also aware of PSTM school,

03:00:22 you are aware of the one in Eastern region.

03:00:24 - Abomosu.

03:00:26 - Abomosu, Abomosu.

03:00:28 Five currently has been operational.

03:00:29 And the good news is that even last year,

03:00:32 during the school placement,

03:00:35 when you look at the enrollment of this time students,

03:00:37 it was actually oversubscribed.

03:00:39 We have students who actually oversubscribed.

03:00:41 So, I mean, it boils down to what he's also saying,

03:00:45 that we may also have to realign the placement regime

03:00:48 and give more vacancies to schools

03:00:50 that are already offering most of the science programs.

03:00:53 But, I mean, Kodjo, let me just confirm the figures

03:00:55 to you when it comes to teacher to student ratio.

03:00:57 - Okay.

03:00:58 - In terms of the SHS, we have 1,331,219 students.

03:01:02 1,331,219 students.

03:01:09 And the teaching staff, and with regards to the teaching

03:01:12 staff, this is in regards to just last month,

03:01:16 the recently validated teaching staff at the SHS,

03:01:18 that is 85,934.

03:01:21 I mean, so you can do the calculation,

03:01:22 the division yourself, you realize you get 15 is to one.

03:01:25 In the TVA schools too, we have 11,731 teachers.

03:01:30 And if we--

03:01:32 - Is that one student or teachers?

03:01:34 - Sorry, teachers, teachers.

03:01:35 11,731 teachers.

03:01:38 And the students are 152,537.

03:01:41 And at that space, we'll be 13 is to one.

03:01:43 So in terms of the student to teacher ratio,

03:01:45 we have one of the best in the whole world.

03:01:48 Probably we should be the best in Africa.

03:01:50 - Okay, now, interesting how this is going.

03:01:55 But I hope that we really get to achieve all of that.

03:01:59 - Sure.

03:02:00 - So you are saying that my school is Bedubonso.

03:02:02 I'm sure we are--

03:02:02 - Your school is where?

03:02:03 - Bedubonso is in Aguam Kwanta.

03:02:06 - Okay.

03:02:07 - I don't know if it comes readily to you.

03:02:09 We also offer science.

03:02:10 When I go there, will I see all of these equipment

03:02:15 that will help them to teach them well?

03:02:17 - Evidence base, go and check for yourself.

03:02:18 (laughing)

03:02:20 Go and check for yourself and bring the report to us.

03:02:21 - I'll go and then I'll bring the report.

03:02:23 - And within this 21st century schools,

03:02:26 teachers would have to be more resourceful.

03:02:29 - Okay.

03:02:30 - In some cases, you may not see the physical,

03:02:36 but you can also use the virtual aspect of it.

03:02:40 And in some cases, there are some equipments

03:02:43 that you may not need the real, you can improvise.

03:02:48 In situations where you cannot improvise,

03:02:53 I think we can use the technology, digital aspect of it,

03:02:58 to show how you want it to be seen.

03:03:01 - But hands-on is always better.

03:03:03 - Good, hands-on is--

03:03:04 - It is hands-on, that's why you're doing STEM.

03:03:05 - Good, that is--

03:03:06 - So you have to get them, one of them,

03:03:08 to use the hands-on to train the kids.

03:03:09 - That is where I'm going.

03:03:11 And when you see the video of, let's see how

03:03:15 Akosombo Dam works, Akosombo Dam's work,

03:03:20 you get the principle, you can come back,

03:03:24 you will not get Akosombo Dam in your home,

03:03:27 but you can use a barrel, put your water in,

03:03:30 raise it above a certain height,

03:03:35 and then the water can run to turn your turbine

03:03:37 that Akosombo water is turning.

03:03:40 You see, in that case, haven't seen the principle

03:03:43 of how Akosombo work in the video or virtually.

03:03:48 You can now engage your learners

03:03:52 to practically construct models of Akosombo Dam.

03:03:56 - But you know that this expectation of yours

03:04:00 might probably not work, because you know how

03:04:05 tense or depressed, for lack of a better word,

03:04:07 how these teachers are.

03:04:08 Sometimes they are so worn out such that

03:04:13 him to do the extra thing you ask him to do,

03:04:15 to go and watch how Akosombo Dam was done,

03:04:17 put a barrel there and teach the kids, he won't do it.

03:04:20 So you should make the things available

03:04:22 so that it's easy for him to say,

03:04:23 because I have the materials, I'll just use--

03:04:25 - We don't have to make it available.

03:04:27 Either than that, you'll be spoon-feeding--

03:04:29 - The teachers? - The learner.

03:04:31 - Oh, really?

03:04:32 - You'll be spoon-feeding the learner,

03:04:33 because you want the learner to be innovative

03:04:37 and critical thinker.

03:04:39 So when you give the thing to the learner,

03:04:41 how will the learner be thinking again?

03:04:43 - So in some instances, you're not going to make

03:04:47 the materials available, but they have to look for it.

03:04:49 - I think, Kodjoe, I'm coming.

03:04:51 Kodjoe, you see, no, I'm coming.

03:04:54 - It should end up in the textbooks.

03:04:56 Why would you say we don't have the textbooks?

03:04:58 - No, nobody has said we don't have the textbooks.

03:05:00 I gave an explanation to you.

03:05:01 - You have, but I'm saying that

03:05:02 we don't have to get there for us to be told,

03:05:05 oh, we don't have airplane, maybe the hangar,

03:05:09 and that's why we're not teaching the kids ABC.

03:05:11 - It's the same place that I'm coming.

03:05:13 For me, and from the Ministry of Education,

03:05:16 it's a balance of the two.

03:05:18 So if you recently heard the minister speak

03:05:20 at the Sandloss event, where he said that

03:05:22 we are going to introduce virtual free SHS,

03:05:25 he was largely talking about the same thing.

03:05:27 What essentially means that it's a way of boosting

03:05:30 or increasing access.

03:05:31 At the same time, ensuring that you are maintaining

03:05:34 the quality component of education.

03:05:36 So most of the practical lessons,

03:05:39 in order to also augment the practical lessons,

03:05:42 you also introduce a virtual one.

03:05:43 I mean, all over the world, even in universities,

03:05:46 we use simplicities and other things.

03:05:47 So it's just a way of augmenting this,

03:05:49 not necessarily the lack of availability.

03:05:52 You are aware we've introduced this.

03:05:53 - But before you go, there's a letter

03:05:56 from the Ghana Teacher Education Commission, GTEC.

03:05:59 It says, "We write under the auspices

03:06:03 "of the Honorable Minister of Education,

03:06:04 "requesting you not to pay monthly salary and allowances

03:06:09 "for the month of August 2023 to the teaching staff

03:06:12 "of all 46 colleges of education, CTAAC.

03:06:16 "However, any arrears before August 2023

03:06:19 "should be validated and paid.

03:06:21 "We count very much on your cooperation

03:06:22 "and urgent action, please."

03:06:24 And this is addressed to the Controller-Counter-General.

03:06:27 Why this?

03:06:28 (laughs)

03:06:30 - Well, there is a history to that, very briefly.

03:06:33 So, CTAAC had their conditions of service expired.

03:06:38 And so, I mean, their requirement was that they negotiate

03:06:46 or engage their employers and agree

03:06:50 on the new conditions of service.

03:06:51 That was done and approved by even the Ministry of Finance

03:06:58 for annual payment.

03:06:59 But right after that approval, CTAAC raised their concern.

03:07:04 And their major concern was that four of the items,

03:07:09 according to them, they flagged it,

03:07:12 because according to them, their point is that

03:07:15 it has been unilaterally changed

03:07:17 by Fair Wages and Salaries Commission.

03:07:20 So what the Ministry of Education even did was that,

03:07:23 well, indicate those four items, let's look at it again,

03:07:27 and then prompt the Ministry of Finance

03:07:29 for them to take into account.

03:07:34 That was done.

03:07:36 Approval was given for payment.

03:07:39 But that was around 21st of July,

03:07:42 because we were just entering into August.

03:07:44 And the Ministry of Education informed CTAAC

03:07:47 this is where everything has been approved.

03:07:49 And even in terms of your payment,

03:07:53 all outstanding arrears are going to be backdated.

03:07:55 So you can then go to work,

03:07:58 because all the concerns that you were looking for

03:08:01 has finally been resolved.

03:08:03 Because what controller told Ministry of Education

03:08:05 is that if indeed they want to effect the payment

03:08:10 as at just last July, it was not going to be possible.

03:08:13 What essentially means is that they will have to sacrifice

03:08:17 the entire payment structure for all civil servants

03:08:21 in Ghana, maybe at the order of the 2,000 CTAAC students

03:08:25 or how you call it, the employees that we may want to factor.

03:08:28 So it was resolved that I guess they make the payment.

03:08:33 And of course, the payment was going to take into account

03:08:35 all outstanding arrears or all outstanding negligences.

03:08:39 CTAAC said no.

03:08:41 So what Ministry of Education is saying is that,

03:08:43 well, in the month of August, you did not go to work.

03:08:47 You did not work.

03:08:48 Even against the National Labour Commission telling you

03:08:51 that since all you are looking for has been agreed upon

03:08:55 and has actually been approved and payment is scheduled

03:08:58 for next month, you have to go to work.

03:09:00 CTAAC said no.

03:09:01 But I mean, you know that CTAAC,

03:09:03 just like most of these colleges of education,

03:09:05 is just like an industrial hub.

03:09:07 You work to produce output,

03:09:08 and then we use that money to pay you.

03:09:10 If you do not go to work, the fundamental question

03:09:13 that we have to ask ourselves is that,

03:09:15 where do we get money to pay you?

03:09:17 Particularly when all your concerns were addressed,

03:09:21 you still said you are not going to work.

03:09:22 So it is against this background

03:09:24 that the ministry is saying that,

03:09:25 well, we are going to pay you all those times

03:09:27 that you worked.

03:09:28 But the time that you did not go to work,

03:09:31 even against a directive

03:09:32 from the National Labour Commission,

03:09:34 we invited you on three different occasions

03:09:36 and you refused to enter appearance.

03:09:39 It's only fair that government is unable

03:09:41 to generate any money elsewhere,

03:09:43 because ordinarily, where you work is where

03:09:46 you ought to generate money to be paid.

03:09:47 I mean, and I've always insisted that,

03:09:49 apart from government of Ghana,

03:09:51 instances like this where you take your employers

03:09:54 for granted is at very minimal.

03:09:57 This, if you ask me, will be difficult to happen

03:09:59 in the private sector.

03:10:01 - Because I'm short of time,

03:10:02 as I was going to ask you,

03:10:03 but these teachers, the student there

03:10:04 don't pay on a monthly basis,

03:10:05 so why are you then linking it to a month affair?

03:10:08 - No, but you see,

03:10:10 so if students does not pay on a monthly basis,

03:10:14 at the end of the day, you work for your employer.

03:10:16 - Oh yeah, yeah, sure.

03:10:16 - Where do you think your employer

03:10:17 should get money to pay you?

03:10:19 - Okay, all right.

03:10:20 - Okay.

03:10:21 - I'm not going to argue for that.

03:10:21 I've run out of time.

03:10:22 - Or you think you can have sent yourself

03:10:23 for a whole month, and your employer will pay you?

03:10:25 - No, I cannot do it here.

03:10:26 - So but why do you expect that to be happening

03:10:28 in the private sector?

03:10:29 - No, I mean, everybody and the government.

03:10:31 - 10 seconds on the employment right.

03:10:32 So from here, I want parents to encourage their learners,

03:10:39 their words that science is not meant for those,

03:10:44 in those they do see, they are sharks,

03:10:47 but everybody at all can do science.

03:10:48 - I'm not a shark, I read science.

03:10:50 - Oh yeah, yeah.

03:10:51 - So they should encourage their children

03:10:53 or their students who have just completed BSE

03:10:58 to choose science.

03:10:59 And there are more opportunities for them.

03:11:01 - I mean, there are so many prospects in science.

03:11:03 - And you'll get, in fact, they also have that idea

03:11:06 that when they choose science, they will not get,

03:11:07 but they will get it.

03:11:08 So there's more science.

03:11:09 - Martin, thank you.

03:11:10 This is still the end, and grateful to you,

03:11:13 David Bower, National STEM Coordinator

03:11:14 in charge of physics at GES,

03:11:16 and Kweisi Kwatingpiaru for the Ministry of Education.

03:11:20 Well, it's been a wonderful conversation here,

03:11:23 but let's pick your thoughts on the issues

03:11:24 that we've discussed.

03:11:26 Call us on the lines on the screen,

03:11:30 and then you can have your thought,

03:11:31 but we'll just take a very quick break.

03:11:33 We'll be back.

03:11:33 (dramatic music)

03:11:36 (dramatic music)

03:11:39 All right, so call us and be part

03:12:02 of the discussions we've had.

03:12:03 We've spoken about the Bank of Ghana.

03:12:06 We've also talked about elephant chassis

03:12:08 in Upper West Region.

03:12:09 We've discussed STEM education.

03:12:12 Fantastic opportunity for all our GHS students

03:12:15 to play themselves in science schools,

03:12:19 and learn the next skill that will take them higher.

03:12:24 So call us and let's have your viewpoint on all of them.

03:12:26 0302-211691, 0302-211691.

03:12:32 And we'll be back in a moment.

03:12:34 We'll be back in a moment.

03:12:35 We'll be back in a moment.

03:12:36 We'll be back in a moment.

03:12:37 We'll be back in a moment.

03:12:39 We'll be back in a moment.

03:12:40 We'll be back in a moment.

03:12:41 We'll be back in a moment.

03:12:43 We'll be back in a moment.

03:12:44 We'll be back in a moment.

03:12:45 We'll be back in a moment.

03:12:47 We'll be back in a moment.

03:12:48 We'll be back in a moment.

03:12:49 We'll be back in a moment.

03:12:51 We'll be back in a moment.

03:12:52 We'll be back in a moment.

03:12:53 We'll be back in a moment.

03:12:55 We'll be back in a moment.

03:12:56 We'll be back in a moment.

03:12:57 We'll be back in a moment.

03:12:59 We'll be back in a moment.

03:13:00 We'll be back in a moment.

03:13:01 We'll be back in a moment.

03:13:03 We'll be back in a moment.

03:13:04 We'll be back in a moment.

03:13:06 We'll be back in a moment.

03:13:07 We'll be back in a moment.

03:13:08 We'll be back in a moment.

03:13:10 We'll be back in a moment.

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03:13:29 Okay.

03:13:30 Yes, so I wanted to find out whether we are still stuck on the pen

03:13:36 and why are we not moving on to the Steam?

03:13:39 Steam.

03:13:40 That was my question.

03:13:41 Okay.

03:13:42 Okay.

03:13:43 Why are we not moving on to Steam?

03:13:44 Okay.

03:13:45 All right.

03:13:46 Thank you, sir.

03:13:47 Grateful for joining us.

03:13:48 Okay.

03:13:49 Okay.

03:13:50 All right.

03:13:51 What is your viewpoint as well?

03:13:52 It could be a question as well as Dan has brought.

03:13:54 03-02-21-1691.

03:13:55 Call us and let's hear from you as well.

03:14:00 Again happy birthday to Dennis Ketre Domenu.

03:14:04 Akapo says you are his brother from another mother.

03:14:09 God richly bless you on this day.

03:14:11 May he guide your steps always and grant you abundance in everything good.

03:14:15 Happy birthday to you from Benjamin Akapo and the Join You Steam.

03:14:19 Well, Nana, good morning.

03:14:21 Good morning.

03:14:22 Thanks for calling, sir.

03:14:23 Glad to hear you.

03:14:24 Well, I'm so grateful to watch you on the program.

03:14:29 And then what I want to say is that there should be more education on various times,

03:14:38 not only in the morning so that parents who are at work now at the moment will maybe also

03:14:45 get the opportunity to watch because it is an interesting conversation that you have

03:14:52 given out this morning so that it will encourage most of the parents to try and then enroll

03:14:57 their children into their STEM education and they do better.

03:15:01 Thank you very much.

03:15:02 Thank you so much, Nana, for calling us.

03:15:04 And we're grateful to all of you who called and those who wanted to call but couldn't.

03:15:08 We're grateful.

03:15:09 It's our official Joy Prime, Joy FM and other MGL platforms, media partners for the biggest

03:15:14 carnival in Ghana, the Chalewote Street Art Festival.

03:15:19 It's an annual colorful festival of sights and scenes with thousands of revelers to be

03:15:24 treated to rich African heritage, art, dance, street painting, graffiti murals, you name

03:15:30 it.

03:15:31 And trust me, with a multimedia group involved, it's going to be an explosion.

03:15:36 It's going to be a promotion of our creative arts economy while achieving the mission to

03:15:40 sell and promote Ghana.

03:15:42 And just as the name Chalewote suggests, the festival is flip-flopping to a new location

03:15:48 this year, Osu.

03:15:49 So come along.

03:15:50 Let's go make unforgettable memories at Osu from August 21 to 27, 2023.

03:15:58 Water is life.

03:15:59 You know that.

03:16:00 A week is premium purified water treated through a strict purification process to ensure that

03:16:04 every bottle on the market refreshes you better.

03:16:07 We have the perfect sizes for all purposes.

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03:16:17 1.5 liters for those who always want more.

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03:16:25 All you must do now is drink Awake Purified Drinking Water wherever you go.

03:16:31 Choose a bottle of Awake Purified Drinking Water today and get quality hydration.

03:16:36 Awake Purified Drinking Water, it's one for life because we say for every bottle you buy,

03:16:42 an amount is donated to the National Cardiothoracic Center, another quality product by Casaparco

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03:16:53 0262-35-1251.

03:16:54 This advert is FDA approved.

03:17:00 And on that note, on behalf of the entire team, I say thank you very much for making

03:17:06 us part of your morning.

03:17:07 We'll meet again, God willing, tomorrow.

03:17:10 Until then, please be good.

03:17:11 The news desk is up next.

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AM Show || BoG losses are as a result of mismanagement - Prof. John Gatsi

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