Property As a Vehicle For Investments

 

By Hannah Owusu Boamah-Online edito/Property Express

7 June 2012

In recent times, almost all categories of income earners are looking for productive ways to invest as a result of economic down- turns, future planning purposes and avenues to generate more income.

The common plans for investment are through stocks, shares, dividend reinvestment plans, index funds, discount brokerage account and mutual funds.

Some also prefer to buy commodities like gold, do currency trading or invest in government saving bonds.

According to Forex Management, an investment advisory group: “Capital investment decisions are not governed by one or two factors, because the investment problem is not simply one of replacing old equipment by a new one, but is concerned with replacing an existing process in a system with another process which makes the entire system more effective”.

An investor must carefully plan in order to make the rightful choice.

 However, among such investment plans, real estate and acquisition of other properties remain key determinant factors, especially in this part of the continent where the infrastructure and housing sector are largely untapped and thus possess huge potentials.

So, if you are thinking of where to invest, consider properties as a viable alternative.

Interestingly, most people in this part of the continent have ignored the investment potential of the property industry, thus have huge properties that are of no significant benefit to them.

Some acquire property for status reasons, just to show off or for fear of poverty, and this is a common practice in Ghana and elsewhere.  “I own of five houses to their credit’, a property owner will say, but is there any investment potential being realized?

To get a full grasp of the argument, the free dictionary will help to define property, as “Something owned, a possession, a piece of real estate; or something tangible or intangible to which its owner has legal rights”.

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Why Is the Property Sector Viable?

According to the UN Habitat, more than two billion people will be added to the number of urban dwellers in the developing countries over the next 25 years. 
 If adequate financial resources are not invested in the development of urban shelter and requisite services, this additional population will be trapped in urban poverty, deplorable housing conditions, poor health and low productivity thus compounding the enormous slum challenge that exists today.
In Ghana, urban population growth is at 2.7 per cent per year.  This is distributed into 48, 000 human settlements and 44 per cent classified as urban live in the Greater Accra, Ashanti and Western Regions.  Accra and Kumasi have population of 1.2 million each.
The national housing deficit is estimated at over one million units and 364,000 new houses are needed annually which has brought about an acute pressure on basic housing services and infrastructure.
The reality of housing situation in many developing countries means that new ways of micro-financing and community funds have to be encouraged if the poor are to be provided with adequate shelter and basic services.
 The way forward
In Ghana, most people own properties, which they might have financed themselves or have inherited it from a family member.
 However, a vast number of property owners have not fully realized its investment potential and general knowledge on the use of properties as a vehicle for investment remains relatively low.
In acquiring a property one must seriously consider the asset and liability factors, though investment can be a risk by looking out for ways that a property can yield high returns.
Assets are economic resources. Anything tangible or intangible that is capable of being owned or controlled to produce value and that is held to have positive economic value is considered an asset.
Liability on the other hand, can mean something that is a hindrance or puts an individual or group at a disadvantage, or something that someone is responsible for, or something that increases the chance of something occurring (that is a cause).
Therefore, there are a number of ways that properties could serve as an investment by being an asset, instead of just seeing it as an end to a means.
Therefore property owners in the country must begin to explore ways to yield more investment from their properties, instead of just enjoying the title of “Landlords” or for luxurious purposes.
Mortgage experts have also advised some ways to increase cash inflow from property such as upgrading facilities in rented apartments to maximum rent payment and providing furnished property for tenants.
They say you can even consider renting out your property by room. This provides a unique opportunity for target groups such as students, or opting for an interest only mortgage. 
One can also delay paying interest repayment by using a Cash Flow Mortgage, which allows investors to pay only a portion of the interest charged every year, and allows the interest component that has not been paid o get depreciation tax benefits from even an older property going back quite a few years if you haven't done a depreciation schedule for a while.
Those that have benefited from ‘Shylock” mortgage services and are finding it difficult to meet their financial obligation can also lease out the apartment for a period of time and use the revenue generated to seek a more cost effective residence elsewhere, whiles winding up to settle their debt.
Despite the potential that the industry has for property owners, that of foreign direct investment could not be overruled.
FDI in Africa has often been channeled to the oil sector, yet considering the UN Habitat statistics on housing deficits, there is a need for more funds into the sector as well.
These are but a few of the numerous opportunities for property owners to explore investments, and the country’s housing deficit provides the appropriate environment to do so.
End

Lessons as Ghana Prepares for New Airport

By Hannah Owusu Boamah-Online editor/property Express

7th June 2102

Over the past few days, the media airwaves have seen various arguments as to whether the location of the Kotoka International Airport (KIA) is safe, considering the recent air cargo crash last Saturday.

Notable among personalities that have called for the relocation of the airport is the flag bearer of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Nana Akufo-Addo and Dr Kofi Henaku, an aviation expert.

A Nigerian cargo plane DHV3, belonging to Allied Air Cargo crash-landed and overshot the runway at the KIA, breaking the wall opposite the El-Wak Stadium, killing ten people on a bus and a soldier.

The event, took place at 19:10 hours and the aircraft is said to have crashed when it failed to land properly and decided to jet back into the air, but struck a communication mast belonging to the Ghana Civil Aviation, broke it wings and thus could not take off again.

However, this might seem the first time in decades that an aircraft accident had occurred in Ghana, but has raised serious concerns on safety, architectural and planning issues as the country considers sitting a new airport at Prampram in the Greater Accra Region. 

A glance at the genesis of the country’s premier international airport, which has the capacity for large aircraft such as the Boeing 747-8, was established to serve as the aviation hub of the West African sub-region.

Kotoka Airport renamed from Ghana International Airport, in honor of Lieutenant General Emmanuel Akwasi Kotoka (October 26, 1926 – April 17, 1967), a member of the ruling National Liberation Council presently serves as a base for domestic operators CTK-Citylink, Starbow airlines, fly540 and Antrak Air.

Also alarming is a report in the Herald newspaper that reported pilots and  other aviation experts are raising alarm over potential plane crashes at the KIA, Ghana’s only standard airport, as a result of serious disruptions in communication between approaching pilots and the Control Tower”.

This warning was sounded after The Herald intercepted an alarming five-page report which said “serious security breaches,” had occurred at KIA with pilots complaining about poor visibility and communication at the airport.

In the wake for these calls, government says it is considering the option of building a new international airport at Prampram in the Dangme West District in the Greater Accra Region to ease the pressure on the Kotoka International Airport (KIA).
The Minister of Transport, Alhaji Collins Dauda, made this known in Accra last Monday after leading a delegation to visit the families of those who died in the plane crash at the Hajj Village near the El-Wak Stadium in Accra last Saturday.
He said air traffic activities at the KIA had increased over the years and that there was the need to construct another international airport in the green belt as an alternative to the KIA, adding that a team of surveyors from the Survey department was already on the land working and as soon as the work was completed, the government would invite individuals and business entities interested in the project to come up with a conceptual design.

With such concerns on encroachment and security, there is also the need to carefully look at the architecture and layout requirement for airport projects.

Major factors come to play in airport layout and architectural, whiles measures are also been put in place to do away with encroachers and other security issues related to KIA operations.

To begin with, key among airport infrastructure is the runway.

When runways are built, their layout is influenced by many factors, such as aviation regulations, environmental concerns, noise level impacts, terrain and soil considerations, natural and man-made, obstructions, annual weather patterns, and the size and performance characteristics of the airplanes that will use the runways

These are all factors in runway and airport planning. Many issues are studied before final decisions on airport location and runway layout are determined.

Environmental impact requirements for airports were first established with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 and in 1970 with the Airport and Airway Development Act as in the United States.

These acts ensure that due consideration is given to the effects on the quality of the environment and the surrounding communities in regard to airport expansion, use and development.

Before building a new facility or expanding an existing facility, an impact study or feasibility study must be done. These studies include a critical assessment of all impact issues from soil to air quality.

Controlling water pollution from airports has been well mastered by planners. Airports can be major contributors to water pollution if suitable treatment facilities are not provided for the various types of airport wastes.

These wastes include the following: domestic sewage, industrial wastes such as oil and fuel spills and high temperature water degradation that stems from the heat of various power plants in nearly constant use at an airport.

One of the most severe problems is that of aircraft noise in and around an airport. Laying out runways so that air traffic patterns occur minimally over heavily populated areas is a practice now widely employed during runway expansion and when building new airports.

Controlling the land use around an airport also helps reduce the interference of aircraft noise with the public. Noise abatement procedures during take off and landing make for quieter airport operations.

Such procedures consist of a faster takeoff speed quickly followed by slowing the engine once airborne over a populated area, then returning the engines to full speed and resuming normal flight operations.

This lessens the amount of engine noise over the populated area without adversely affecting the flight. Improvements in engine design have also been a successful factor in reducing aircraft noise.

Airports attract business and people, but airports are noisy. Businesses and people do not like airport noise. There are very few airports in the world where no noise complaints have been recorded.

Noise in the vicinity of airports generated from aircraft operations has an adverse impact on a community’s quality of life. At the very least, aircraft noise is distracting and it can be unhealthy. 

Airport operators are primarily responsible for planning and implementing action designed to reduce the effect of noise on residents of the surrounding area. Such actions include optimal site location, improvements in airport design, and noise abatement procedures.

Noise abatement procedures can include designated arrival and/or departure paths and procedures. Land acquisition and restrictions on airport use should not unjustly discriminate against any user or impede the federal interest in safety and management of the air navigation system.

During the 1990s, aircraft were required to become less noisy. This change was accomplished with the design of quieter engines and in some cases “hush kits” were installed on some older aircraft.

The change came in three stages where the aircraft noise level in decibels was reduced to less objectionable and less dangerous levels. As of the first of January 2000 Stage 3, the final stage, was implemented.

The noise level of Stage 3 aircraft is comparable to a busy urban street and is much quieter than the Stage 2 aircraft noise level, which is similar to an amplified rock music concert.

The ground on which the airport is to be built must have a stable stratum of earth upon which building foundations can be anchored.

The soil must be capable of supporting heavy loads without shifting or sinking. If the airport’s runways are to be used by heavy aircraft (airplanes with a gross weight of 300,000 pounds and heavier) the underlying soil and/or bedrock must be able to support the weight of the runway plus the aircraft’s weight.

Many airport runways have several feet of reinforced concrete to support the airplanes without cracking.

Other factor to also consider is the direction of the wind. Land at a greater elevation surrounding an airport such as mountains also has a profound effect on winds.

For instance, the wind pattern on the leeward side of a mountain contains dangerous downdrafts or “rotor waves”. An aircraft flying through such wind would encounter hazardous turbulence that would push the airplane towards the ground. These are all considered when orienting runways in an area near mountains.

There are many airports within mountainous areas where the runway headings generally run parallel with the length of the valley in which they are located or run along neighboring rivers.

Man-made obstructions like multi-storied high rises, transmissions towers and bridges can and do influence runway orientation.

Consideration of local weather patterns is also a factor in determining an airport’s layout. The weather patterns of an area, especially the prevailing winds, are a major factor in determining runway headings.

Prevailing winds are defined as the direction from which the winds blow most frequently. Remember that airplanes take off and land into the wind.

Let’s say that at a given airport the prevailing winds blow in from the west 65% of the year, while 30% of the year the wind blows in from the east, and the remaining 5% coming from the northwest. It would be best then to orient the runway W (27) and E (9).

That would mean that approximately 95% of the year airplanes would be landing and taking off into the wind. In most of Texas and Oklahoma the runways are generally N-S runways because the winds are usually from either the North or South. In parts of the Eastern United States there are many airports with NE-SW and NW-SE runways because the winds are more likely to change between those two directions.

These are among few factors to consider for airport planning and development, hence the need for government and stakeholders to ensure that the proposed Prampram project is executed to meet international standards and requirements.

As the saying goes: “if it must be done, it must be done well”, there is the need for more government commitment so to forestall any lapses and shoddy work that often mar the infrastructure development in the country.

 

CONDOMINIUMS-VITAL FOR GHANA'S HOUSING SECTOR

By Hannah Owusu Boamah,Online Editor-Property Express
6 June 2012

Housing remains a key component in the triplets of the necessities of life namely, food, shelter and clothing.

As such, governments and individuals as well as developers and investors continue to commit resources into this vital sector.

In Ghana, the twist and turns of the housing or real estate sector calls for more innovative product and services that will meet this vital need of life.

A  viable alternative that  has not been much explored in the country , is the introduction of condominium, popularly known as  "condo"  in the developed economies or better still "high-rise building".

Condominium is a form of home ownership in which individual units of a larger complex are sold, not rented.

In this system of ownership, we see a building or complex in which units of the property are owned by individuals  but properties such as the grounds and building structure, are jointly shared among the unit owners.

In China, 64 million condos are available.

Those who purchase units in a condominium technically own everything from their walls inward. All of the individual homeowners have shared rights to most common areas, such as the elevators, hallways, pools and club houses.
Maintenance of these areas becomes the responsibility of a condominium association. Every owner owns a share of interest in the condominium association, plus an obligation to pay monthly dues or special assessment fees for larger maintenance problems.
Could this ownership plan be adopted in Ghana, considering  that the country's housing deficit stands at over one million houses, according to the Government of Ghana's website.

However such huge deficit rates calls for key decisions that would address these lapses, since most initiatives to reverse the trend have proved futile.

There is therefore the need for more proactive measures that will provide decent and affordable houses to all Ghanaians and such system could include ways to fully explore the condo system.

Taking a glance of the current predominant system of landlord and tenancy rifle day in and day out, could there by means to explore the use of condos to address such hitch.

To begin with, lets attempt to look at the merits and demerits of high-rise building.

Some critics have said a condominium arrangement is not the best option for every potential homeowner, since there could be noticeable lack of privacy in the common areas shared by owners.

 Those who would prefer to own all of their amenities and maintain their own lawn and garden may want to pursue single home ownership options instead of a condominium.

It can also be more difficult to sell a condominium unit as opposed to a home with acreage.

Therefore, this ownership style is said to be most suitable for  veteran apartment renters who don't mind having close neighbors and persons  who may not want to be bothered with external maintenance or the responsibility of lawn care.

Condos are also ideal for frequent travellers and therefore If you travel a lot or need to be able to leave with little notice, this can be your ticket to enjoying that freedom.

With this, you can travel never having to be concerned about your yard maintenance, waste or other security issues since all these things are handled for you.

Also condo living can also contribute to a more active lifestyle and residents are also each others keeper.

Condos also provide the opportunity for those wanting more amenities at less cost.

Moreover, this system is cost effective , it may be much lower than an equivalent single-unit home. Buying a condominium does allow equity to build, unlike paying monthly rent in an apartment complex.

Also instead of opting for rental where you continue to have headaches from a landlord and having to abide by so many "we don't do this in my house then a condominium living may be more advantageous financially than apartment rentals.

This ownership style is also an excellent alternative for many as their lives transition from one phase to another.
Condos also comes with certain demerits such as noise from neighbour’s, including those above and below your unit, parking at condominiums is often in a common area not attached to the home, no yard and some condo buildings may have stairs.
One thing to be aware of when living in a condominium setting is the political reality of an owners' association. Decisions may be made in monthly meetings which will cost individual owners more money, but not necessarily deliver equal benefits for all.
It can be nearly impossible to avoid being affected by at least one condo board decision, so active participation in meetings and discussions may be more compulsory than you might expect.
Condominium living may be more advantageous financially than apartment rentals, but it does require more active participation in community events.
 WHY CAN IT BE AN OPTION FOR GHANA?
Considering the income  and poverty levels in the country, condominiums can be a viable alternative, since they are quite moderate to owing an estate.
Secondly, due to the poor maintenance culture inhibit  in this part of the world, condos will be an appropriate system, since the responsibility of maintenance  will be handled not be the owners, but the associations.
It also provides an opportunity to re-adopt the community life-style, virtually fading out due to urbanisation.
The indigenous Ghanaian culture encourages brotherliness, being each other's keeper, hence this system will further strengthen such ties that exist in the local culture.
Also, with the current economic situation, where most inhabitants stay out mostly for work, condos will help ensure utmost security and peace of mind whiles away from home.
Notwithstanding these points,  another crucial factor is the rift between landlords and tenants, hence, this ownership style could ensure more peace in homes and encourage more people to channel resources there.
WHY THE NEED FOR CONDOMINIUM ACTS IN AFRICA
 In recent time, the Ghana Housing Finance Association  (GHFC), a trade association of practitioners of housing finance, is working with stakeholders to draft a Condominium Property Bill to develop condominiums to address challenges in the housing sector.
The bill will be used as an advocacy tool influence both legislative and executive arms of government to pass a Condominium Law.
Mr. Charles Bonsu, General Manager, Mortgage and Consumer Loans of HFC Bank Limited, who announced this at a four-day sensitisation workshop in Accra said it was for the development of a Condominium Law in Ghana; the purpose for the GHFA was to develop a form of national housing finance network to support pilot schemes, innovations and initiatives.

In addition, to strengthen collaboration and partnership between government, private sector, bilateral and multi-lateral agencies as well as civil society, to address housing finance challenges.

As part of effort to achieve such feat,  GHFA is to train and equip members with general information and advocacy skills and to take them through the essential steps in designing and planning an advocacy campaign and undertake the advocacy action leading to the development and promulgation of a Condominium Law in Ghana.

The development of flats and high rise properties has become the norm in Ghana, especially in the metropolis because they enable developers to maximise the use of land and space.

Players in the housing industry therefore say there is the need to pass a law to regulate the industry and also encourage the formation of property management companies for such facilities to instill discipline in the industry and facilitate the development of more high rise properties.

With challenges in the housing industry which has a deficit of about 100,000 houses a year, high cost of land and inadequate long-term finance; the development of condominiums is seen as a way of addressing the challenges.

Ghana had no common areas and other issues and therefore needed to pass a law to regulate the industry and encourage the formation of property management companies for such facilities and the law would not only instill discipline in the industry, but also facilitate the development of high rise properties.

Mr David K.D. Letsa, Partner of Bentsi- Enchill , Letsa and Ankomah, consultants for projects, identified some of the challenges facing the housing sector as high cost and access of land, lack of transparency in land tenure and multiple sale of landed property, heavy reliance on imported building materials, high cost of building materials, margins of developers, prolonged land title registration process and undeveloped local building materials industry.

He said there was the need for a condominium regulation that would avoid haphazard, uncontrolled developments, unsound engineering, risk to life and property.

It would also encourage developers, assurance of title, adequate maintenance and induce financiers to invest.

Mr. Letsa said the preparation of the bill was a formidable exercise and must be responsive, forward-looking and necessarily complement the reforms currently being undertaken in land administration and use.**

Chief Attorney Also,  George Coppolo, Chief Attorney has indicated that the need for a a Condominium Act.
 The act will spell out legislations that will among others provide for the election from among the unit owners of a board of directors; their tenure, duties, powers, compensation and removal of boards.
 It will also spell out the method of calling meetings of the unit owners, and the percentage, if other than a majority, of unit owners that constitutes a quorum; the qualifications, powers and duties of the officers of the association; the manner of selecting and removing officers and their term and compensation, in addition to issues related to governing the alienation, conveyance, sale, leasing, purchase, ownership, and occupancy of units as are desirable;.
Considering the challenges of of the african property market as well as that of developing economies, there was the need for an Act of Parliament that will ensure adequate regulation should this be a viable alternative to address the woes of the continent's housing deficits.
THE ROLE OF CONDOMINIUMS IN CO-OPERATIVE AND STATE HOUSING POLICIES
In Ghana, efforts by subsequent governments to secure affordable housing estates as well as to institute effective state housing policies have proved futile.
Notable among them are the Affordable Housing Project under the Kufuor -led administration and the controversial STX Korea deal.
However, notwithstanding these, challenges with the Chinese experience and replica experiences in developed economies, there is the need for government to consider this ownership plan.
Ghana, for instance still has a lot to capture in the current landlord and tenants system and explore ways to diversify this system to a more effective condo system.
With its benefits of cost effectiveness, state housing policies can also be diversified and consider ways to adopt such a system to meet the needs of the people.
In terms of co-peratives, this niche in the country remain mostly untapped.
Ghana still remains in a housing crisis, hence the country continues to explore innovative startegies for results.
Cooperative housing projects are a proven form of multitude homeownership. It has many benefits and has been used to meet the high demand of housing for a variety of people in Ghana, according to the ghanainvest.com..
A cooperative housing project is formed when investors jointly decide to own, control or build various housing projects.
A housing cooperative is therefore a legal entity owns real estates consisting of one or more residential buildings;.

The corporation is membership based, with membership granted by way of a share purchase in the cooperative.

  A primary advantage of the housing cooperative is the pooling of the members’ resources so that their buying power is leveraged, thus lowering the cost per member in all the services and products associated with home ownership.

Cooperative can also used to describe a non-share capital co-op model in which fee-paying members obtain the right to occupy a bedroom and share the communal resources of a house that is owned by a cooperative organization.

Such is the case with student cooperatives in some college neighborhoods in the United States. and as practised in Canada, Sweden, India, Germany and Finland.

Coperative housing projects  have seen some successes, but some experts have blamed the high cost of building materials and other factors such as land litigation on inability to perform, but there is still more to gain than lose.
Such investors could therefore explore opportunities that condos present in Ghana's economy in addition to other sectors such as  garden-style housing communities, student apartments, middle class townhouses, single-family homes and senior housing.
With the high demand for quality and affordable housing in Ghana it is destined to be a highly yielding investment.
To blend all facts, there is a need for government, stakeholders and investors to seriously consider the use of condos among other such vital  options, in order to help make the dream of an affordable and comfortable apartment a reality for all persons and not the preserve of only a few.
End

Ghana Gets First Female Speaker

January 20-A retired Justice of the Supreme Court; the highest court of Ghana has made history, as she has been elected the first female Speaker of Ghana’s Parliament.
Mrs Justice Joyce Bamford-Addo’s achievement becomes an accomplishment worth celebrating by Ghanaian women after various years of the struggle for gender equality and emancipation for women from all sorts of abuse and marginalization.
In this position, Mrs Bamford-Addo, 71 is the third highest person in the country after the President and Vice President.
She was worn in by the Chief Justice, Mrs Justice Georgina Wood who also made history some few years ago by heading Ghana’s Judiciary.
This means that currently, two arms of the country’s government that is the Legislature and Judiciary are now being run by women.
The Speaker of the fifth Parliament of the Fourth Republic was elected unopposed and succeeds Mr Ebenezer Sekyi Hughes, in a Parliament of 230 representatives.
Mrs Bamford-Addo attended the Holy Child Secondary School in Cape Coast, at the capital of the Central region.
She trained as a lawyer in the United Kingdom and practiced briefly in London and relocated to Ghana.
She joined the Attorney General’s Department in Ghana as a State Attorney in 1963 and rose to become the Director of Public Prosecution in 1986.
Between 1991 and 2004 she served as Supreme Court Judge.
She also served on various boards including the Legal Aid Board and the Judicial Council.
In 1992, she served as a Deputy Speaker of the Consultative Assembly and retired from public service in October 2004, having served as a practicing lawyer for 43 years and as a judge of the Supreme Court for 13 years.
With this worth of experience, it is ample testimony that she won the seat not based on just the mere fact that she is a woman given undue advantage but based on her competence.
Chapter ten of Ghana’s 1992 Constitution, states there shall be a Speaker of Parliament who shall be elected by the members of Parliament from among persons who are members of Parliament or who are qualified to be elected as members of Parliament.
The Speaker will however be expected to vacate his or her office if he becomes a Minister of State or a Deputy Minister, or if he resigns from office by writing signed by him and addressed to the Clerk to Parliament; or if any circumstances arise that, if he were not Speaker, would disqualify him for election as a member of Parliament.
It also says that the Speaker will also be expected to vacate the position if he or she is removed from office by a resolution of Parliament supported by the votes of not less than three-quarters of all the members of Parliament.
The constitutions also requires person elected to the office of Speaker to before entering upon the duties of his office, take and subscribe before Parliament the oath of allegiance and the Speaker's oath set out in the Second Schedule to this Constitution.
On emoluments, the Speaker will however receive such salary and allowances, and on retirement, such retiring awards as may be determined in accordance with article 71 of this Constitution.
The salary and allowances payable to the Speaker and any retiring awards payable to him on retirement shall be charged on state fund called the Consolidated Fund.
The salary and other allowances payable to the Speaker shall not be varied to his disadvantage during his tenure of office.
The Speaker will have two Deputy Speakers of Parliament who shall be elected by the members of Parliament from among the members of Parliament; and both of who shall not be members of the same political party
In previous years, gender activists and women groups have called for the inclusion of women and some have even proposed quota systems that would ensure fair representation of women in parliament.
This have failed, as some critics say women were calling for their inclusion not based on competence but just for the sake of inclusion.
Before Ghana’s elections in December last year, the names of some women emerged as potential candidates to be nominated as running mates to support flag bearers of the major political parties.
The running mates, according to the country’s constitution automatically become the vice president of the Republic when the political party wins the elections.
It therefore came as a big surprise and disappointment at the same time to gender activists who taught the battle had been won when the parties announced male names as their vice presidential candidates.
Although the battle had not been totally won yet, women are hoping that with time they would find their rightful place in the world.
Gradually the trend is changing as girl child education is on the increase in the country.
Through the intervention of previous government’s, many policies have been introduced to ensure that more girls go to school and stay in school.
This include the Free Compulsory Universal Basic Education programme introduced over 20 years ago, to ensure that all citizens had at least basic education, the Capitation Grant initiated by the former administration led by ex-President John Agyekum Kufuor which provided grants of three dollars to each pupil every academic year to pay for tuition and a school feeding programme which provided free lunch for pupils in basic schools.
Ghana’s basic education begins with a two- year nursery and kindergarten education, six years of primary education and three years of junior high school.
It was later realized that the campaign, which started as girl child education, must be given a deeper focus as most girls dropped out of school due to teenage pregnancy, early marriage, traditional beliefs that women were home managers and therefore belonged to the kitchen among others.
Thank God that eventually, females are outnumbering the males in most educational institutions in Ghana and are performing better.
But the challenge now is how to pursue higher academic laurels to especially the Masters and PhD levels.
Due to their feminine societal roles, most of them cannot afford to let go of their marital pride and therefore abandon education to cater for their families.
Ghanaian women salute Mrs Bamford-Addo and look forward to more of such accomplishment.
We hope this is just the beginning of real hope for womanhood.
End

Ghana's Elections, How It Happened

By Hannah Annor

Professor John Evans Atta Mills of the main opposition party, the National Democratic Congress (NDC) has been declared president elect for Ghana to succeed President John Agyekum Kufuor.
He would officially receive the mantle from President Kufuor at a ceremony in Accra on January 7.
The president- elect won the seat elections in a historic battle, which saw Ghanaians going to the polls on two occasions, December 7 for the presidential and parliamentary elections and on December 28 for a presidential run-off.
The December 7 polls could not produce a winner since none of the candidates attained the constitutional requirement of 50 per cent plus one vote.
As if the two occasions were not enough, Ghanaians were again kept in suspense for another four days to make way for the conduct of elections in one constituency called Tain in the Brong Ahafo region.
Tain constituents could cast their ballot in the presidential run-off because some ballot papers were alleged to have been missing.
But Ghana’s statutory institution in charge of the Elections, the Electoral Commission later come out to explain that the number of ballot papers sent to Tain were accurate but the problem occurred when distributing them.
It said some polling centres were given more than the required number of ballot papers, leading to shortages elsewhere.
In the December 7 elections, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo- Addo, presidential candidate of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) took the lead with 49. 13 per cent and Prof Mills followed with 47.92 per cent.
However, the battle turned around during the presidential run-off where Prof Mills swept the lead from his contender, Nana Akufo Addo to take the seat.
Prof Mills took the seat with 50. 23 per cent whilst Nana-Akufo-Addo also had 49.77 per cent.
Prof Mills’ message of “change” seemed to have gone down well with Ghanaians who gave him their thumb to lead the country as compared to his contender’s message of “ We Are Moving Forward”.
Before the elections, Prof Mills, 64, was seen to have intensified his campaign this year, embarking on a door to door campaign dubbed “ I care for you” in order to win the sympathy of electorates.
It appeared this strategy worked well for him, which saw his massive victory, especially in his hometown, the Central region.
The President-elect who was vice to President Jerry John Rawlings, who handed over power to President Kufuor in 2000, won the seat after contesting with the NPP on three conservative times in 2000, 2004 and this elections.
During the elections, all was calm in the country with very few irregularities. This made the country receive lots of commendation from the international community as well as other international observers who thronged into Ghana to monitor the elections.
The December 7 election, which also elected 230 parliamentarians, saw the defeat of some key personalities of the NPP such as the Information Minister to the Kufuor administration and other NDC gurus.
The NDC therefore won more seats than the NPP and therefore would have a simple majority representation in Parliament.
The NDC had 114 members in parliamentarians against 107 for the NPP.
The NDC therefore capitalized on this to win the presidential seat, campaigning that it had the majority in Parliament and therefore needed the mandate of Ghanaians for the presidency in order to also push its agenda.
It therefore became a big surprise to the NPP when provisional results of the presidential run-off started pouring in on the electronic media showing NDC in the lead.
The political tension has now cooled out in the country and all are awaiting January 7, for the smooth transition.
The President-elect had already named a team to ensure a smooth transition and he is calling for peace and cooperation from the entire citizenry in order to serve the country as expected.
On whether Ghana and the United States have similar patterns in terms of politics, it will be recalled that when Bill Clinton was leaving office in 2000, he handed over to President George .W Bush who was then in opposition.
Similarly, Ghana voted for the NPP , then in opposition and therefore former President Rawlings handed over power to President Kufuor in the same year.
Furthermore, when Barack Obama of the American Democrat party won the elections, some NDC compatriots started prophesying victory for the NDC which incidentally shared a common slogan of “ Change” with Obama.
Interestingly, the vice presidential candidate to Prof Mills, John Mahama who is now the Vice-President elect was even nick named Obama during the campaigning.
Some analysts have therefore questioned whether Ghana’s politics would in subsequent years follow the American pattern?. Perhaps time would tell.
Another interesting issue has to do with the names of the three successive head of states that have ruled the country in previous years.
Former President Rawlings was called John, President Kufuor was also a John and the President elect is also a John.
Are John’s the most anointed to lead Ghana and are preparing the way for a “messiah” to come . Perhaps time would prove this too.
Even for the next administration , the Vice President is also a John and coincidentally shared a similar surname with his successor, Alhaji Aliu Mahama.
Ghana had so far been a shinning example to Africa and the world at large by proving that it was possible for an African country to hold elections without any violence.
She was the first country to have independence in sub-Saharan Africa and continues to maintain her position as one of the most respected countries within the West African sub-region.
Ghana, with a population of over 22 million is the second global leader in cocoa production and also second for Gold.
End

Ghana Decides Tomorrow

Hannah Annor writes from Accra

Dec. 27, 2008-Ghanaian electorates would tomorrow, Sunday go to the polls again for the presidential run-off election to choose a presidential candidate to succeed President John Agyekum Kufuor.
None of the presidential candidates attained the constitutional requirement of 50 per cent plus one vote during the December 7 general election, hence the need for the run-off.
The two candidates, Nana Addo Danquah Akufo-Addo of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP), son of Ghana’s former Head of State, Edward Akufo-Addo and Professor John Evans Atta- Mills of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) are contesting.
Nana Akufo-Addo was a former Attorney-General, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Member of Parliament for Akyem Abuakwa in the Eastern region of Ghana whilst Prof Atta-Mills was a Vice President of the Republic during President Jerry John Rawlings regime that handed over to President Kufuor.
The polls which begin at 0700 hours and end 1700 hours started on Tuesday with the Special Voting which involved persons whose services would be needed on duty on the Election Day.
They include officials of the statutory body responsible for the election, the Electoral Commission, security personnel, media and party representatives who would monitor it.
Both candidates have in the last two weeks intensified their campaigns in order to win the presidential seat.
Whilst the NPP goes with the campaign message “Moving Forward’, the NDC is calling for change, using the Akan dilate “Yeresesam”.
In the December 7 polls which attracted lots of commendation for Ghana from the international community and election observers due to peace and tranquillity which prevailed, Nana Akufo- Addo pulled 49. 13 per cent and Prof Atta-Mills had 47. 92 per cent.
A gap of only 102,000 votes separated the two candidates in an election in which eight million people voted.
Nana Akufo-Addo, 64, has a former Deputy Governor of Ghana’s Central Bank, Mamudu Bawumiah as his vice presidential candidate and Prof Mills, 64, has John Mahama, Member of Parliament for Bole Bamboi in northern Ghana and former Minister of Communications under the Rowling’s administration.
Nana is married to Rebecca with 5 children whilst Prof-Atta-Mills also has Naadu as wife with a son.
-End

Ghana's election shinning example to Africa-says AU Observers

Story: Hannah Annor

Accra, Ghana-Dec. 9, 2008 -Ghana has distinguished herself in Africa by demonstrating that it is possible to run elections in the continent without violence, the African Union (AU) Observer Mission said on Tuesday.
It said Ghana's election was also a big relief to Africa after recent election violence in Kenya and Zimbabwe.
"Ghana has become a shining example at the time when Africa is passing through difficult times in efforts to consolidate democracy," Dr Salim Ahmed Salim, Head of the AU Observer Team, said at a news conference in Accra.
He said the team was impressed with the patience, resilience and high turnout by the Ghanaian electorate during the polls, which proved the country's political maturity.
Dr Salim said the voting process was conducted peacefully and orderly with much vigilance and enthusiasm from both voters and civil society.
He said Ghana's elections also showed the exercise of democracy without fear or favour, describing the process as most inspiring.
Dr Salim thanked Ghanaians and other observers who worked during the elections to help further consolidate the country's democracy.
Touching on the purported delay by the Electoral Commission (EC) in releasing certified results, Dr Salim urged Ghanaians to continue to exercise patience.
He said constitutional provisions indicated that the EC had 72 hours to declare the results and there was no cause for worry, since the EC had not exceeded its mandatory time.
Dr Salim also advised political parties to exercise restraint, have confidence in the EC and avoid declaring the results ahead of the EC.
Political parties, he said, must also learn to accept the election results when they are declared and respect the decision of the electorates.
The team also recommended to the EC to create additional polling stations in order to reduce the long queues during voting to manageable sizes.
On electoral materials, the team asked the EC to ensure that polling stations were well supplied with sufficient materials both for the conduct of the elections and for incidental purposes should voting and counting continue after night fall.
The team said essential voting materials such as booths should also be adaptable to the environment, such as the ability to withstand strong wind or rain.
On voter transfers, the team urged EC to improve on the process of transfers and to ensure that the transfer lists were available at all polling stations.
"The EC should consider listing the names alphabetically to ease reference," it added.
The team also called on the EC to constantly inform the public that it was the only statutory body to announce results.
Political parties should also be less intrusive at polling stations and in particular refrain from being involved with electoral officers in locating voter names in the voters’ register.
The team announced it would issue its full report on the elections soon.