Speaking to Adom News, Research Analyst at CDD-Ghana, Francisca Sarpong Owusu, stated that the meeting aimed to promote democracy, good governance, and inclusive development by providing valuable insights into the needs and priorities of Ghanaians.

She emphasized that such engagements help the government make informed decisions to address national challenges.

The forum particularly focused on marginalized groups, including women, persons with disabilities, the elderly, and opinion leaders, ensuring their voices are heard in governance.

Discussions covered key issues such as women’s participation in decision-making, economic empowerment, agriculture, education, anti-corruption efforts, constitutional review, and local governance.

Volta Regional Coordinating Director, Augustus Awiti, commended CDD-Ghana for the initiative, describing it as timely. He noted that with a new government in office, such engagements provide valuable stakeholder input, particularly from women, to guide policy decisions.

He urged CDD-Ghana to continue organizing similar programs in the Volta Region.

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The podcast was launched during the CDD-Ghana Podcast Democracy Dialogue in Accra.

In an interview with Adom News, the Director of Policy Engagement and Partnerships, Dr. Kojo Asante, expressed confidence that the podcast will provide valuable content.

He said the podcast is designed to enlighten Ghanaians on key issues, helping them gain a deeper understanding to make informed decisions in life.

He added that the goal is to create content for listeners and viewers through education, information, and entertainment.

According to him, the podcast is in English and will be aired on the CDD-Ghana YouTube channel. They plan to soon introduce a Twi version of the podcast show on the channel.

Former Ambassador of Ghana to France and Portugal, Anna Bossman, who was present at the launch, said the initiative is moving in the right direction.

Awutu Senya East MP, Phyllis Naa Koryoo, who participated in a discussion on the Affirmative Action Law, described the show as one of the best social programs that could positively impact lives if Ghanaians pay attention to it.

Member of Parliament for Afigya Kwabre South, Damata Ama Appianimaa Salam, also urged Ghanaians to take advantage of valuable content to shape their lives.

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Speaking on JoyNews’ Newsfile on Saturday, January 18, she highlighted the importance of improving the system to better serve the public and strengthen democracy.

“So far, we’ve seen good questions from Parliament, which have triggered equally good responses from the nominees,” she said, referring to the ongoing vetting of ministerial nominees.

“Parliamentary approval is critical for consolidating our democracy, enhancing both vertical and horizontal accountability. It’s also commendable that the media allows the public to follow the process closely.”

She argued that the current process could be more efficient. She suggested a “second look” at the structure of vetting, including the time allocated to nominees and the involvement of committee members.

“We spend too much time on one nominee, often because some members ask multiple questions while others remain silent, particularly from the majority. This isn’t efficient,” she noted.

She proposed exploring alternative methods, such as bisector or parallel vetting, to make the process efficient.

“Having a hybrid approach where experts from different fields participate could make vetting more thorough. Parliament is composed of individuals with diverse expertise, and committees are set up based on that. Perhaps we could leverage this and conduct parallel vetting sessions to save time.”

As new nominations are expected soon, Madam Vera emphasised the urgency of these reforms.

“With nominations coming up, it’s essential we find ways to get the process done effectively. Parallel vetting, where experts conduct interviews concurrently, could be a practical solution,” she concluded.

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The Centre for Democratic Development (CDD-Ghana) 2024 Election Incidents report gave a total of 76 separate incidents it recorded in relation to the elections.

The Collation for Domestic Elections Observers (CODEO) and the West Africa Network for Peacebuilding (WANEP) supported CDD-Ghana in compiling the report.

Presenting the findings in Accra, Mr Paul Nana Kwabena Aborampah Mensah, Programme Manager in-charge of Security Sector Governance, CDD Ghana, said of the 76 incidents, 24 were cases of destruction, seizure, vandalism and invasion of public facilities, while 46 were injuries with six deaths.

Touching on the deaths, Mr Mensah said at the Nyankpaa lorry station in the Tolon Constituency of the Northern Region, one Haruna Shaibu, a 31-year-old steel bender, was shot and killed on the spot.

He said Mukila Ziblim, 35, died from a gunshot wound he sustained from a stray bullet in the Damongo Constituency of the Savanna Region during the collation.

On December 7, a shooting incident in the Awutu Senya East Constituency of the Central Region led to the death of one person and other critically injured.

Mr Mensah said in the Ahafo Ano South West Constituency of the Ashanti Region, during the collating process at the Electoral Commission Office at Mankraso, unidentified supporters of the two leading political parties believed their opponents intended to rig the election, which led to a confrontation.

As a result, six people got injured and one of them (Kwasi Nimo, a 33-year-old man) later died at the Mankraso Government Hospital.

In the Offinso North Constituency of the Ashanti Region, some youth from Akomandan, suspected to be National Democratic Congress (NDC) supporters, broke into a warehouse belonging to the New Patriotic Party (NPP) Parliamentary Candidate and looted bags of fertilizers, he said.

Mr Mensah said the incident occurred shortly after the election results were declared at the collation centre.

He said as the youths looted the fertilizers, some supporters of the NPP attempted to stop them and in the process, one person was stabbed to death and another person was injured by a bullet and died later at the hospital.

Regarding the destruction of public property, Mr Mensah mentioned the burning of the EC’s offices at Damongo in the Savanna Region and Ayensuano in the Eastern Region.

He said the CDD-Ghana Security Sector Governance team would follow up in those regions, constituencies and communities where the incidents happened to validate the data/details of the cases, including names of the affected people and their locations.

The validation process would seek to collect and confirm the brief of the story behind each of the cases.

Mr Mensah said the project would establish a platform for survivors and the families of the deceased to bridge the gap between investigators and the affected families devoid of suspicion and to canvas citizens support to aid the investigations.

The platforms would also seek to provide updates on the cases to the victims and their families and engage in discussions with the aim of and exploring the way forward.

He said 132 suspects had been arrested so far, of which 45 were remanded in custody, 71 on police enquiry bail and 16 on court bail.

Professor Henry Kwasi Prempeh, the Executive Director, CDD-Ghana, said the Centre’s worse fears going into this year’s elections, thankfully, did not materialise, concerning widespread apprehension that “the elections might be exceptionally disorderly.”

“Yet the fact that we did not experience the levels of disorder and chaos that we might have expected does not mean that all is well or that all went well …” he said.

“We continue to experience, unfortunately, incidents of disorder, some of them violent, some of them fatal, in our elections.”

He bemoaned the incidents of electoral violence Ghana still grappled with even after nine successive elections, which had resulted in injuries, destruction of public property, and deaths.

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In a collaboration between the Centre for Democratic Development (CDD-Ghana) and the Institute of African Studies at the University of Ghana (UG), a public lecture was held to honour his legacy.

The event which took place at the UG campus attracted many civil society organizations (CSOs), individuals, students, and stakeholders from the judiciary and education sectors.

It was themed, “The Crisis of Civic Citizenship in Contemporary Ghanaian Democracy: Lessons from the Life and Times of the Late Akoto Ampaw; The Problems of Democracy in Ghana’s 4th Republic.

In an interview with Adom News, the Director of Policy Engagement and Partnerships at CDD-Ghana Dr Kojo Asante emphasized the importance of recognizing Mr. Ampaw’s significant contributions to Ghana.

Dr Asante reiterated the need to celebrate Mr. Ampaw’s impactful life and work.

“We must celebrate the significant contributions of Mr. Akoto Ampaw to our society. His dedication to human rights and anti-corruption has left a lasting legacy that will continue to inspire future generations,” he said.

He further urged the general public to carefully listen to all the presidential candidates to make an informed choice and avoid accepting money in exchange for votes.

“It is crucial for Ghanaians to make informed choices and not be swayed by monetary influences during elections. Let us honor the legacy of Mr. Ampaw by upholding the values he stood for,” he added.

The esteemed lawyer Anthony Akoto Ampaw passed away on October 20, 2023, at the University of Ghana Medical Centre (UGMC).

Mr. Ampaw served as a member of counsel for President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo during the 2012 election petition and was a tireless advocate for the marginalized.

Affectionately known as “Sheey Sheey” since his university days, Mr. Akoto Ampaw was a respected private legal practitioner, human rights activist, and anti-corruption campaigner who stood behind the poor in court.

He left an enduring legacy in the legal profession, particularly in championing human rights and advocating for equitable justice.

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In a press statement issued after closely monitoring events since October 15, 2024, CDD-Ghana urged all stakeholders to exercise restraint and prioritise peace as the nation approaches the 2024 general elections.

The statement comes in response to the Minority Leader, Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson, invoking Article 97(1)(g) of the 1992 Constitution, questioning the status of four parliamentary seats.

The Speaker’s declaration of vacancies on October 17 for two NPP MPs, one NDC MP, and one independent MP was challenged by the Majority Leader, Alexander Afenyo-Markin, who applied to the Supreme Court.

On October 18, the Court intervened, allowing the affected MPs to continue their duties pending a final decision.

CDD-Ghana noted the public debate over the Speaker’s actions and the Supreme Court’s ruling, acknowledging the novelty of the situation.

“This situation presents a novel challenge to Ghana’s constitutional practice,” the statement read, “and requires careful and sensitive handling to prevent the onset of constitutional and political turmoil.”

The Center emphasised the need for all parties, including Parliament and the media, to respect constitutional principles while avoiding actions that could escalate tensions.

“CDD-Ghana strongly urges all Members of Parliament, political parties, the Executive, and the media to act with maximum restraint, a sense of responsibility, and respect for the letter and spirit of the constitutional principles and processes that underpin Ghana’s democracy.”

Additionally, CDD-Ghana encouraged Parliament to comply with the Supreme Court’s directives, regardless of differing opinions.

“To deescalate the current tension and uphold the rule of law, CDD-Ghana encourages the Speaker and Parliament to fully comply with the Supreme Court’s directions.”

The statement suggested that the Speaker and Parliament may seek a review of the ruling if necessary.

Reflecting on the broader implications, CDD-Ghana called for a reevaluation of constitutional provisions concerning parliamentary seats, especially during election years, to prevent legal uncertainty.

The statement also urged the swift resolution of outstanding cases disqualifying candidates for the upcoming elections.

“It is vital to ensure that remedies are available for affected individuals and parties without plunging the nation into legal or political uncertainty.”

Finally, the Center appealed to all Ghanaians to remain calm, respect the judicial process, and uphold peace.

“In the spirit of national unity, we urge all Ghanaians to remain calm, respect the judicial process, and continue to uphold peace as we collectively safeguard Ghana’s democracy.”

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According to him, when people forget this, they may lash out at the media, whether motivated by political affiliations or personal grievances against a journalist’s statements or actions.

Dr Asante also underscored the vital role the media plays in reporting during crises and disasters.

Speaking on JoyNews’ National Dialogue of Defending Media Freedom, Dr Asante said, “One day, when you wake up and there is flooding in your area or some disaster is coming, and you have no means of getting information to save your life, then you will understand what the media means.”

The CDD fellow noted that, the media landscape is dominated by the youth as newsrooms are filled with young people.

Dr Asante emphasised that the daily experiences of these young journalists will influence and reflect how young people across Ghana perceive the country.

“If they are constantly being intimidated, beaten up, and so on, that is how they will feel about the country because they represent the majority of us. The way they feel about Ghana will reflect in how they communicate about the country, which is why I believe we should care more about the media.”

Source: Myjoyonline.com

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The survey, known as the District Mining Development Card, was carried out by CDD-Ghana to assess how effectively these communities, which benefit from mineral royalties, are utilizing the funds.

It covered eight out of the 28 mining districts across the country.

Speaking on Adom FM’s Burning Issues, a Research Analyst at CDD-Ghana, Emmanuel Yeboah disclosed that, instead of channeling the mineral royalties into projects that would bring long-term benefits to their communities, some Assemblies are spending the funds on funeral donations, fuel, and even maintenance work for palaces.

“According to the Local Government Act, mineral royalties are supposed to be invested in developmental projects such as education, health, and sanitation,” he explained.

However, Mr Yeboah noted that one of the significant challenges identified was the recurrent expenditures by these Assemblies.

“In fact, some districts are using the funds received from mineral royalties on non-essential expenses like funeral donations, fuel, and palace maintenance,” he added.

Mr. Yeboah mentioned that, due to the absence of a clear policy on how the districts should allocate these royalties, many Assemblies are left to use their discretion.

The survey also ranked the performance of various districts in terms of the efficient utilization of mineral royalties.

According to Mr Yeboah, Brim North Municipal came out on top with a score of 42.4%.

Tarkwa Nsuaem followed closely in second place with 41.9%, Wassa East was third with 41%, Upper Denkyira West took the fourth spot with 40%, and Bibiani Anhwiaso Bekai was fifth with 39%.

Other districts in the ranking included Obuasi in sixth place with 35%, Asutifi North in seventh with 34%, and Prestea-Huni Valley in eighth with 33%.

Mr Yeboah added that, CDD-Ghana will soon publish the full details of how each district has utilized its mineral royalties.

Source: Adomonline

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According to CDD, weak fiscal transparency is one of the challenges of the Assembly and the local mining committees(LMCs), hence the need for a framework to guide project funding.

A Research analyst with CDD-Ghana, Emmanuel Yeboah said this in an interview on Asempa FM Ekosii Sen programme while sharing insight on their report on the Mining Districts Development Scorecard.

“You realise that some of these mining districts receive the royalties due them but you cannot identify the projects these monies are used for. So we need that legal framework,” he said.

Mr Yeboah raised concerns over the shortfalls in mineral revenue allocation to mining districts, citing the medium for disbursement.

“When it comes to the central government levels, we observed the shortfalls in the mineral revenue. It comes to the MDF then to the administrator of stool lands before it gets to the assemblies and the Local Management Committees(LMCs) so you realised by the time the money arrives, it has reduced drastically,” he said.

Despite Ghana’s longstanding history as a resource-rich nation, it is widely known that communities that produce these minerals are lagging in terms of development.

But as part of their research, Mr Yeboah said they discovered that the percentage of mineral royalties allocated to mining communities was woefully inadequate, and that accounted for the gap in development in these communities.

He has therefore appealed to the government to put in place to address the shortfalls and the revenue cuts coupled with calls for an increase in the mineral royalties.

The Mining District Development Scorecard is an initiative of the CDD-Ghana with support from the Ford Foundation to track the usage of mineral revenue in mining districts in the country.

The project seeks to promote transparency, and accountability and improve social and human development outcomes.

The project’s long-term goal is to empower and strengthen community participation in natural resource governance and management for better development at the sub-national level in Ghana.

Birim North District emerged as the top-ranked district overall in the 2023 MDDS league table, scoring 42.4 out of 100 points.

Tarkwa Nsuaem Municipal is ranked 2nd with a score of 41.9 points, and Wassa East District is ranked 3rd with 41 points.

Asutifi North District which CDD found out receives the highest royalties placed 7th, a position Mr Yeboah said was unsatisfactory.

This he noted suggests severely ‘weak’ governance practices in the municipality’s management and utilization of mineral royalties.

Also, he urged the assemblies to scale up its public engagement campaigns to render account to the public on the utilization of mineral royalties.

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In a statement released on August 1, CDD-Ghana extended its congratulations to Parliament, the Ministry of Gender, Children, and Social Protection (MoGCSP), the Affirmative Action Bill Coalition, and all stakeholders who played critical roles in advancing this legislation.

The organisation emphasised that this landmark Act is a crucial step towards fulfilling Article 35 (6b) of the 1992 Constitution, which mandates the state to “take appropriate measures to achieve reasonable regional and gender balance in the recruitment and appointment to public offices.”

“This historic milestone demonstrates a strong commitment to addressing the long-standing disparities in public life, ownership, and control of economic and other resources, and empowering women to contribute meaningfully to the development of our nation,” CDD-Ghana stated.

The organisation particularly commended the Speaker of Parliament, Rt. Hon. Alban Bagbin, for his leadership and determination in shepherding the legislation through the legislative process.

CDD-Ghana also recognised the efforts of the Minister for Gender, Children, and Social Protection, Dakoa Newman, alongside the former and current chairpersons of the Parliamentary Committee on Gender and Children, the Legal and Constitutional Committee of Parliament, the Women’s Caucus, and all members of Parliament who championed the bill.

Acknowledging the critical role of civil society, CDD-Ghana applauded the persistent advocacy and mobilisation efforts of the Affirmative Action Coalition and other civil society organisations, which were instrumental in bringing this bill to fruition.

Call for Urgent Implementation While celebrating the passage of the Act, CDD-Ghana underscored the importance of its swift and effective implementation and urged President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to sign the bill into law without delay to ensure its timely enforcement.

“We call on the government to provide the necessary resources and support, including funding and capacity building, to facilitate the implementation process,” the statement read.

CDD-Ghana also advocated for robust and continuous monitoring and evaluation to assess progress and address any challenges that may arise during the implementation phase.

A Commitment to Gender Equality CDD-Ghana reaffirmed its dedication to supporting the implementation of the Affirmative Action (Gender Equality) Act and promoting gender equality and social inclusion across the nation.

The organisation called on all relevant actors, including government agencies, civil society organisations, and development partners, to collaborate diligently to ensure the full and effective realisation of the Act’s objectives.

As a leading advocate for democracy and good governance, CDD-Ghana expressed its optimism for a future where gender equality is fully realised in Ghana, ensuring that women are empowered to play vital roles in the country’s development.

Despite Ghana’s longstanding history as a resource-rich nation, it is widely known that communities that produce these minerals are lagging in terms of development.

According to a Research analyst with CDD-Ghana, Emmanuel Yeboah, the percentage of mineral royalties allocated to mining communities was woefully inadequate, and that accounted for the gap in development in these communities.

Speaking at a stakeholders’ meeting to review the CDD report on the Mining Districts Development Scorecard at Obuasi, Mr Yeboah said the insignificant 20 percent royalties paid, coupled with the delays in the disbursement of the fund made it impossible for the affected districts to undertake any meaningful development projects in their communities.

He appealed to the government, through the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources, the Minerals Commission, the Ghana Revenue Authority and other key stakeholders, to consider increasing the percentage of the mineral royalties allocated to the districts to bridge the development gap in the mining communities.

The Obuasi Municipal ranked sixth in the latest 2023 Mining District Development Scorecard (MDDS) league table with a score of 35.4, out of 100 points, according to the CDD.

The district performance score is said to be below the MDDS overall score of 38.4 points.

This suggests severely ‘weak’ governance practices in the Municipality’s management and utilization of mineral royalties.

The Mining District Development Scorecard is an initiative of the CDD-Ghana with support from the Ford Foundation.

It was introduced to track the usage of mineral revenue in mining districts in the country.

The two-year project seeks to promote transparency, and accountability and improve social and human development outcomes.

The project’s long-term goal is to empower and strengthen community participation in natural resource governance and management for better development at the sub-national level in Ghana.

Obuasi’s score was only better than Asutifi North District and Prestea- Huni Valley Municipal.

Mr Yeboah said the municipality scored poorly in two MDDS major component areas, which are; local management committee effectiveness and mineral development fund utilization efficiency.

He said, “Across all the five major components of the MDDS, the Obuasi Municipal scored an average of ‘ very good’ in 10 out of 12 subcomponents that were assessed and scored using administrative data sources prepared by the Assembly.”

He added that the research discovered weak fiscal transparency as one of the challenges of the Assembly and the local mining committee.

Dr Amina Achiaa Asiedu Amoah, Chairperson of the Local Mining Committee of the Obuasi Municipality, gave the assurance that the committee would intensify its awareness creation campaign for the people to know the activities of the committee.

She also called for an increase in mineral royalties allocated to the districts to speed up development in the mining communities and finance the activities of the LMC including public outreach programmes.

Mr Ali Tanti Robert, Executive Director of the Center for Social Impact Studies, called on the Obuasi Municipal Assembly to scale up its public engagement campaigns to render account to the public on the utilization of mineral royalties.

The CDD-Ghana, in a statement copied to the Ghana News Agency, said the Office of the Attorney-General (AG) had, in a letter addressed to the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO), dated April 25, 2024, advised EOCO to not investigate suspected money laundering in connection with certain monies found at the private residences of Mrs Cecilia Dapaah, a former Minister of Sanitation and Water Resources.

It said this followed a “request for directions” ostensibly made to the AG by EOCO following EOCO’s receipt of a referral from the Office of Special Prosecutor (OSP) concerning Mrs Dapaah’s case.

It said the referral from the OSP had noted that while the OSP’s investigations had “identified strong indications of suspected money laundering and structuring,” such matters fell outside the OSP’s statutory mandate but were well within the EOCO’s mandate, hence the referral.

The statement said in its advice to EOCO to not proceed with investigation of the matter, the AG stated that it found no grounds to warrant such an investigation because the OSP had not made any findings of criminal activity that would serve as a predicate offense for a money laundering case.

It said the AG further stated that an investigation by EOCO into the Cecilia Dapaah matter was not necessary since the AG had apparently instructed the Criminal Investigations Division (CID) of the Ghana Police Service some eight months ago to investigate the source of the monies found at Mrs Dapaah’s residence.

“The upshot of the AG’s advice is that the Cecilia Dapaah matter is over. Case closed. Once again, a high-profile case of suspected or alleged criminal conduct implicating a politically influential person has been terminated abruptly without proper credible resolution or closure,” the statement said.

“It is not clear in what way the forced termination of further investigation into this matter by the AG serves either the public interest or helps the reputation of the target of the investigation.”

The statement said it was hard to believe that, after over eight months of investigation following the alleged theft of $1 million and €300,000 cash from the home of Mrs Dapaah, the subsequent discovery of another $590,000 and GHS 2,730,000 in cash by the OSP in Madam Dapaah’s properties, not to mention the huge balances held in investment and bank accounts, Ghanaians could not get a simple satisfactory answer from any public agency as to the source of these monies.

The statement said the fact that these monies, at least in the aggregate, apparently exceed the former Minister’s known or verifiable income should raise legitimate questions or reasonable suspicion or doubt as to their source.

It said continuing to investigate this matter to establish the source of the monies was therefore eminently justifiable under the circumstances.

“In fact, the idea that “unexplained wealth” can give rise to a reasonable suspicion or even a presumption of illegality of the source of such wealth is a principle embraced by our Constitution.”

It said notably, Article 286(4) of the Constitution, in the chapter on the Code of Conduct for Public Officers, made it clear, in the context of the asset declaration regime, that assets of a declarant that were “not reasonably attributable to income, gift, loan, inheritance or any other reasonable source shall be deemed to have been acquired in contravention of this Constitution.”

The statement said it was the same principle or presumption that justified at least a credible investigation in this matter.

It noted that it was instructive that Mrs Dapaah refused to complete a Statement of Income and Property form during the OSP investigation.

“So far, no other agency is known to have asked to see Mrs Dapaah’s asset declaration record or appears interested in getting to the bottom of this matter in order to bring it to a satisfactory closure.”

It said the action of EOCO in requesting directions from the AG without first acting on the referral from the OSP to initiate its own investigation of the matter seemed oddly contrived.

It reiterated that having been provided with a docket containing various exhibits, statements by twenty or so individuals, as well as the bare fact of the quantum of the monies found in the properties associated with Mrs Dapaah and her spouse, one would have expected EOCO to proceed with its own investigations, instead of seeking the AG’s legal advice on prosecution at that early pre-investigative stage.

CDD-Ghana noted with great disappointment that the abrupt or inconclusive manner in which this matter had been ended fits a pattern in terms of the Nana Akufo-Addo Administration’s general attitude and response to scandals and allegations or reported incidents of criminal conduct, corruption or other financial malfeasance involving persons closely associated with the Government or ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP).

The statement said cases and scandals that had been treated in similar inclusive fashion include various galamsey scandals and a host of pseudo-PPP/procurement deals, including the recent SML case.

It said the Government had not demonstrated a good faith commitment to working with the responsible agencies to bring any of these cases or scandals to a credible and satisfactory resolution.

It said the Government, it appeared, was more interested in exonerating the targets or suspects in these cases than in working with the state’s investigative and prosecutorial agencies to resolve these matters in the public interest.

The statement said the Government made much of the fact that it pioneered the establishment of the OSP and had provided significant financial resources to enable the OSP and related agencies to function.

“But what is the point of funding the budgets of these investigative and anti-corruption or anti-crime agencies in one breath, while, turning around, to frustrate or obstruct their efforts to investigate politically sensitive and other high-profile cases”.

It said given Ghana’s continuing dismal performance in fighting corruption and associated alarming deterioration of the quality of governance, this persistent inconclusive handling and shutting down of high-profile scandals only serves to further undermine the already low public trust in the nation’s state institutions.

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Speaking on JoyNews’ The Probe, Madam Addo underscored that women, constituting more than half of Ghana’s population, have long been excluded from significant decision-making processes.

She highlighted that such exclusion not only hampers development but also undermines the principles of democracy and inclusion.

“The Affirmative Action Bill recognizes the marginalization of women, and for a very long time, women who make up more than half of the population have not been part of decision-making. This undermines our development, democracy, and issues about inclusion participation among others,” she said on Sunday.

She noted that the implications of the bill extend beyond women’s issues, pointing to evidence indicating improvements in decision-making outcomes when women are actively involved.

According to her, the country needs to prioritise the inclusion of women in decision-making and leadership roles, not just in politics but also in private and public spheres.

“We must recognise the Affirmative Action Bill is not just a women’s issue but that of a country that we all need to come together to support.

“If you look at Ghana’s population based on the 2021 Census, 51 percent of the population are women, then we need to create that platform and opportunity for more young girls to have an equal playing field to take up positions,” she told host Emefa Apawu.

Highlighting the significance of the Affirmative Action Bill, Madam Addo called on the nation to reevaluate women’s participation in politics and decision-making, emphasising the need for a more equitable representation of women in various sectors.https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?height=314&href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FJoyNewsOnTV%2Fvideos%2F419910110538840%2F&show_text=false&width=560&t=0

Background

In the early days after Ghana gained its independence, the country legislated an Affirmative Action Act in the middle of 1960 allowing 10 women members to represent the regions of the country in the then legislature.

The law recognised that women’s political participation is a critical component of democratic dialogue and social cohesion.

However, it was lost under the weight of the political upheavals which took place in the intervening years of the country.

The nation has since made various commitments by signing to global declarations and protocols that advocated for increased women’s participation and representation in public life.

Ghana’s Parliament in 2011 re-initiated processes to have the Affirmative Action bill passed into law, but the efforts have suffered setbacks and to date, the bill has failed to pass the basic parliamentary proceedings.

After nearly 60 years following the Affirmative Action move of the 1960s, Ghana has failed to meet the minimum UN recommended threshold of 30 per cent women representation in either the local or the national level decision-making process. 

The Bill seeks to encourage efforts towards addressing socio-cultural, political, economic, and educational gender imbalances in private and public sectors in accordance with Clause 4 of Article 17 of the 1992 Constitution.

This is in spite of various calls made by civil society groups, gender advocates and importantly female parliamentarians.

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The expert said that Parliament can play an important role in overseeing the work of government agencies fighting corruption, like the Economic and Organized Crime Office (EOCO).

Speaking on JoyNews’ AM Show on Wednesday, January 31, he also noted that Parliament has a broader mandate to oversee our entire governance system.

“I do not see why, let us say, if EOCO is investigating a particular issue, there are not some elements of parliamentary oversight of the executive that parliament cannot hold hearings and investigate the matter from their role as one of their institutions designed to exercise oversight in our governance system,” he said.

In as much as those different avenues through which we can conduct an investigation or fight corruption are seen to convolute it, you can keep zigzagging and dodging through the system; they also have a role to play.”

Mr. Kwapong emphasizes that all state institutions have a role to play in combating corruption, as corruption manifests itself in many different ways.

He argued that the multidimensional nature of corruption requires a multi-dimensional approach to address it.

The Director of Advocacy and Policy Engagement at the CDD, Kojo Asante, explained that there is always tension when an incumbent political party seeks to stay in power for a third term, often marred by vote-buying and the use of vigilantism to influence the electoral process.

He made this call on Thursday while speaking at a round table discussion about the Assessment of Election-related activities in 2023 and their implications for the 2024 elections.

Mr Asante emphasised the need to tackle election-related issues to ensure the credibility of electoral processes.

“In the post-2020 election, we made it very clear that a lot of the litigations that arose was that there was no standard way of doing things so people were agitating, we need very clear rules for addressing these issues,” he said.

Also, a senior fellow with the Coalition of Domestic Election Observers (CODEO), Francis Tsegah, called on the EC to institute a timely and transparent process for the publication of detailed coalition centers and election results.

He added that the details must be published on the EC website ahead of elections.

Mr Tsegah also urged the EC to establish clear legal and administrative procedures for handling irregularities by polling and collation organisers.  

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