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NewsTranscript
00:00 Hi there, welcome aboard the News Review and we host Dr. Kwame Asasanti.
00:07 He is a political scientist, also director of the Center for European Studies at the
00:11 University of Ghana.
00:12 But before I go to him, this segment is always brought to you by Endpoint Homeopathic Clinic.
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00:54 And just the top of the morning and the start of the News Review.
00:57 A very good morning to you, Doc.
01:00 Good morning, Ben.
01:01 How are you, my brother?
01:04 We day, we day.
01:06 Over the weekend, I saw something that reminded me of your fish farm.
01:10 You know, there are these point and kill places.
01:14 And I saw something and this was catfish and it just reminded me of your own fish farms.
01:21 Is it tilapia you do or catfish as well?
01:24 Catfish.
01:25 Catfish.
01:26 Yeah.
01:27 I'm about to introduce tilapia.
01:29 I'm going through the process.
01:32 I just did a bit of research when I saw this.
01:34 I did a bit of research on this and I realized that, look, it's not an easy space to be in.
01:40 Some people may think, oh yeah, you get the fingerlings and you're good to go.
01:44 Catfish are carnivorous.
01:45 So you lose some of them through cannibalism if you are not careful.
01:51 Then you have to feed them.
01:53 When they are young, there are specifics you have to feed them.
01:56 When they are older, there are specifics you have to feed them.
01:59 If you buy proper feed, as in their weight and give it to them right from the start,
02:04 you will incur huge losses.
02:06 I mean, how have you been able to sustain this?
02:09 You know, I have read extensively on that and I also engage those who are stakeholders
02:17 and who have knowledge in their business.
02:20 And then practice through observation.
02:25 I've been able to learn a lot.
02:27 Yes.
02:28 I have a diary, farm diary, that I record every happening.
02:33 And then I go and ask questions and I seek answers.
02:36 And thank God, those I consult, they are ready to assist me at all times.
02:43 And it's interesting.
02:44 So finally, I'm just curious, and who knows, by having this conversation, maybe someone
02:49 may be inspired to go into it.
02:51 Maybe that could be your calling.
02:52 But for how long have you done this and how many catfish, averagely, do you have now?
02:58 I started last year and I have about, I think, a little about 4,000 pieces.
03:09 Yes.
03:11 And we are moving on.
03:13 Yes, we are moving on.
03:15 Well, all of the difficulty with that industry is feed.
03:21 It's so expensive.
03:23 And then you need to be able to get some substitute.
03:30 And that is what I am working on.
03:33 But yeah, feeding is a problem because per bag, you are running over 300.
03:41 And if you should keep them for about six months, you know what we are talking about.
03:45 For each pond that contains about 1,000 pieces of fish, then where they consume about three
03:53 or one bag per day, and it's about 320 thereabouts, for about six months, eight months, you need
04:02 a lot of money to inject into the process.
04:05 But all in all, if you are able to manage it prudently and ensure that you do what is
04:11 needful, I have no doubt in my mind that you are home and dry at the end of the day.
04:18 I do know that, just a cap of this end of the conversation, I do know that at some points,
04:25 the starting, the initial stages with the fingerlings, some people even feed the maggots
04:29 and others, which is common in fish farming.
04:32 I don't know whether you've considered that.
04:34 And I also know that if you grow them and you sell them fresh as they are, you lose
04:40 a chunk of the money.
04:43 Because when they come into the cities, there's a lot of value added.
04:47 And these point and kill points, of course, they'll kill them, process them, dress them
04:52 up, roast or put them in an oven and all of that, and then they pass them on.
04:59 Even more, there are those who process them for export because they engage parties outside
05:06 the country, and that is the best.
05:08 So adding value always is the way to go.
05:11 But anyway.
05:12 I'm exploring all those options.
05:13 I have a cousin in the United Kingdom trying to see the European markets.
05:20 And then also, there's an NGO that works people through a training of smoking them and adding
05:25 value.
05:26 My wife has decided that he will also join with the smoking angle.
05:32 And then we are good to go.
05:34 The whole idea is that to be able to build something that it can get people employed
05:41 and then introduced to their youth and then also let them finish school and get into something
05:48 that is of economic benefit.
05:50 Interesting.
05:51 I didn't plan on going down this road this morning, but I have because it just came to
05:57 mind right when we started.
05:59 And who knows who may have been excited about it and who could be pumping money into that.
06:03 Of course, it will create jobs and also maybe help beat down the prices of catfish out there.
06:09 But two quick things I want you to look at for me in a minute and a half, if you can.
06:14 Parliament, the minority is still staying away from Parliament.
06:17 For the first time yesterday, the majority sat in Parliament.
06:20 They initiated business.
06:22 Of course, there were some things they were not able to do because of the numbers.
06:26 And then on the other hand, the media budget review.
06:29 It's slated for the 25th of this month.
06:32 Yesterday, I was here having an interaction together with George Riafic of our business
06:37 desk on and with major stakeholders on what to expect.
06:42 Some people say clearly we don't need any more taxes.
06:46 What are your expectations on these two?
06:49 Yeah, I would touch on the NDC boycott.
06:53 Yes, it's part of a strategy in Parliament to boycott, to stage a walkout and all that
07:00 to champion a cause that you believe and believe in strongly.
07:04 The NDC feel that there's a need to give the colleague moral support in court and all that.
07:10 But for how long they will be able to stay out of Parliament is the problem.
07:15 Because the rules governing their work there, that is from the standing orders.
07:22 Once you hit a number of days, you absent yourself from Parliament, then you will be
07:31 sanctioned and that.
07:33 But they could be absent with permission.
07:36 That is different.
07:37 Yeah, but the permission who is going to grant that if you look at the conversation in Parliament
07:43 and all that.
07:44 So the speaker was merely alerting them that if you're going to do this, then let me remind
07:47 you, you have a 15 day or 15 appearance deadline, sort of, or room within which to operate.
07:55 So if you're going to do this, then you must trigger the necessary processes.
07:59 I believe that was what happened in Parliament.
08:02 Yes, but you know, there are strategies here.
08:05 They will come in when they are getting close to the deadline.
08:08 Yes, and they will stay away when they are getting closer to the deadline.
08:12 They come in and then they come on and off.
08:15 That's what I'm expecting will happen.
08:17 But you know, they cannot stay out of Parliament forever.
08:22 And majority can also not work without them.
08:26 Because certain, even the start of work of Parliament, you need a quorum about one third
08:32 of members of Parliament, you are talking about 90 people in Parliament, and that is
08:38 going to be a problem.
08:39 You can start and gloss over, but somebody can trigger a legal process and that will
08:45 abort all the rest that you have done.
08:48 Right.
08:49 That is also there.
08:50 It also affects certain bills.
08:51 If you're talking about financial bills, you need the minority, however small they are,
08:56 they must depart.
08:58 And once you are moving into the budget phase, you are going to need them at all times.
09:08 So I think the leadership will have to talk and see the common ground in this matter.
09:15 But I can see that it's not an easy conversation.
09:19 It's a difficult one, because there are, you know, gains and then losses that should be
09:26 expected from this type of process.
09:29 But come back to budget.
09:31 Yes, looking at the economic conditions that we find ourselves, I don't think it's necessary
09:37 for government to overburden us with taxes, because we are already bad.
09:46 If you look at the financial conditions we find ourselves, it's difficult for people
09:50 to make ends meet.
09:52 So you will not want to overburden them with a new set of taxes and all that.
09:59 These things, as soon as you do, and we are getting closer to election, you know the implications.
10:04 Apart from that, I'm not sure that it will bode well for a government that is trying
10:10 to gain footing economically.
10:16 Hello, Doc.
10:23 Well we'll get...
10:24 Look at the picketing going on.
10:25 Look at...
10:26 Yeah, can you hear me?
10:27 I can hear you now.
10:28 We lost you for just two seconds.
10:30 Yes, I was saying that if the government...
10:34 There's no point the government should go ahead and then introduce some taxes now, because
10:39 the economic challenges that we are facing now are very...
10:43 People are struggling to make ends meet.
10:48 So a government that is trying to carry everybody along, a government that is trying to fix
10:53 the economy and make life better, you don't compound the situation by introducing additional
10:58 taxes.
10:59 That will create all manner of problem for society.
11:03 And it doesn't bode well for a government that tries to break their eight, because all
11:08 of these have implications on the elections.
11:11 Right.
11:12 So let's quickly get into the papers now.
11:14 We'll start with the Daily Graphic newspaper.
11:16 UGK and USD run unapproved courses.
11:21 Authorities move to rectify the anomaly.
11:23 I'll be getting into that story.
11:25 There's also support our quest to transform economy.
11:28 President Ecofuado to Portugal.
11:29 Then there's Access Bank PLC, Standard Chartered Bank sign acquisition deal.
11:34 Of course, the takeover, so to speak, of assets.
11:38 Hudson Gardens cries for swift help, 90% workforce near retirement.
11:43 That's a worry.
11:44 And then government approves new salary structure for JUSAC.
11:47 Speaking of new salary structures.
11:49 Anyway, I'll leave it there.
11:52 Now the 2021 Auditor General's report has revealed that the University of Ghana, Lagon,
11:58 is running 371 unaccredited programs, including 80 undergraduate programs or courses.
12:07 The unaccredited programs also include 213 postgraduate and 67 doctor of philosophy courses.
12:15 Similarly, officials of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology also
12:19 appeared before the Public Accounts Committee of Parliament and admitted that the KNUSD
12:23 was running a number of unaccredited programs.
12:26 But the registrar of the University of Ghana, Mrs. Amelia Ejeimenson, told the committee
12:31 in a cry yesterday that 60 of the undergraduate programs of the institution had been fully
12:37 accredited, while the university had put in place systems to ensure that all outstanding
12:42 unaccredited courses went through the accreditation process successfully.
12:47 In an answer to a question as to whether the statements were examined and issued with certificates
12:51 on such unaccredited programs, she said, "Once the programs are rolled out, certificates
12:57 are issued."
12:58 She, however, stressed that measures had been adopted to ensure that all unaccredited programs
13:03 went through the accreditation process successfully.
13:05 We know about the bottlenecks in this situation because coming up with a program and the accreditation
13:11 process, sometimes it takes quite a long time and there are certain bottlenecks and universities
13:17 go ahead and roll them out.
13:18 But what do we do in such a situation?
13:21 How do we bring this to the barest minimum?
13:23 You lecture at the University of Ghana.
13:25 What do you think?
13:26 Yeah, thank God, Eugene has taken initial steps.
13:32 I think two years ago, if my memory serves me right, and then they have detailed the
13:38 process by which each of the units department is supposed to go through in order to get
13:44 accreditation and it's rigidly enforced.
13:49 The provost chancellor, academic affairs, has been very supportive in this direction
13:54 and all the heads have been made to walk their courses through appropriate processes to get
14:01 the necessary accreditation.
14:04 And they remind you from time to time, each of the units, from your dean, from the provost,
14:11 from everybody.
14:12 So, I can speak for Ligon, Ligon is on top of it.
14:17 So I know in no time, these bottlenecks will be addressed.
14:23 Well, let's get into that story on page 20.
14:29 Maybe I'll start from page 13 with those two and then go to page 20.
14:34 Let's get to page 13.
14:37 It's the very next one.
14:40 So Parks and Gardens cries for swift help.
14:43 90% workforce near retirement and the Department of Parks and Gardens, the state agency responsible
14:48 for the development of the country's horticultural potential is facing a human resource crisis
14:53 as over 90% of its staff are due for retirement within the next five years.
14:58 The retirement of the 369 staff has called for the urgent need for the department to
15:05 fill the many vacancies across the country.
15:07 The department established in 1961 had more than 2,000 workers made up of technical officers,
15:13 gardeners, laborers, but it has lost all of them to retirement over the years without
15:17 any form of replacement.
15:19 Of course, there's this portion as well that says, we have also been provided with about
15:23 10 workers, but we need a staff strength of about 2,000 to make the department vibrant
15:28 once again.
15:29 So 10 vis-a-vis the requirement of 2,000.
15:34 And you go to Parks and Gardens, the DVLA area in Cantonments, it's a beautiful place
15:42 and people come there every first and third Saturday to sell their wares and all of that.
15:47 But I'm wondering, even in terms of this whole drive to, what do they even call it?
15:54 The planting we do every year, Green Ghana.
15:58 This would have been a way of integrating them into the fray, but as always, we'll complain.
16:06 We're faced with climate change.
16:08 We're being stared down by global warming and we're not even paying attention to some
16:13 of these things.
16:14 There's also government approves new salary structure for GSAC and the government has
16:20 approved a new salary structure for the staff of the judicial service.
16:23 In a press statement issued last Monday, the president of the Judicial Service Staff Association
16:29 of Ghana, Samuel Afote, said the implementation of the salary structure was expected to take
16:34 effect this month.
16:35 The association commended the Chief Justice, Justice Gertrude Saki Tokonu for her ingenuity
16:41 and exceptional leadership with various stakeholders to arrive at that decision.
16:45 We do know that they were threatening some sort of industrial action on the back of some
16:54 of these matters.
16:58 Those two stories.
16:59 Doc, let me just add this third one and have you react.
17:04 President Nanaru Dankweku Fuadu has called on the developed world, especially Portugal,
17:09 to assist Ghana to turn back its old economy, which is dependent on the production, export
17:13 of raw materials and aid.
17:16 He said Ghana wanted to build a value added and industrialized economy with modernized
17:20 agriculture, which was neither a victim nor a pawn of the world economic order.
17:27 And he said the latest engagement would go a long way to strengthen the ties of friendship
17:30 and the bonds of cooperation between Ghana and Portugal.
17:33 Mr. President, though you want to build a value added and industrialized economy, wishes
17:39 aren't horses.
17:40 You must put in place the right policies, the right fundamentals.
17:45 Like when I had the likes of Dr. Humphrey, Ayim Dake, in the studio yesterday of the
17:52 AGI, when Guta came, when people in industry came.
17:57 It's not the rhetoric after what, six and a half years.
18:01 Where is 1D1F, 1V1D, one village, one dam, among others.
18:07 These are the things that could have spurred on the development we want to see.
18:12 Alas, it is what it is.
18:14 Quick thoughts on these three and then we say goodbye to the daily graphic.
18:17 Yeah, I think I will begin with the parks and gardens.
18:21 This is a very important unit of the public in terms of the service that they deliver.
18:31 They have a lot of responsibilities and if they tackle them well, the benefit is all
18:38 there for us to see.
18:40 Over the years, they've done their bit, but I'm surprised to hear the story that it seems
18:47 to me that there is no cessation plan.
18:50 Because how do you have a unit where you know people who go on retirement, where you know
18:54 people who even resign, and then if some people are even fired, you don't have a plan of
19:00 what sustaining people, maintaining the system.
19:05 It's surprising and it speaks volumes of what we are seeing in recent times in terms of
19:10 the work of parks and gardens.
19:13 Take for instance, the beautification of the city, the middle track of our routes where
19:23 the plot land has ended up.
19:26 These things are kept in proper shape.
19:30 Sometimes you see and you ask yourself whether we have forests and all that.
19:33 So this one shed light on what we are seeing because once you have a unit like this and
19:39 we have inadequate staff, obviously the work will be jeopardized and that's what we are
19:44 seeing.
19:45 Moving forward, I believe that which of the organizations which is responsible to oversee
19:50 the work of this unit must make sure they get their parts together and then get going.
19:59 But one thing that is also clear is that sometimes they also need the necessary funds to be able
20:05 to turn things around.
20:07 If you believe in beautification of the city and the rest of them, I think we cannot hold
20:13 money to our chest but give it to them so that they can develop and also support them
20:17 with human resource.
20:18 That's the way to go.
20:20 I also look at the salary structure of judicial service staff.
20:26 It's a good thing because the constitution makes it abundantly clear that people must
20:32 be paid for the services that they render.
20:35 So if you realize that a time has come for them, for their services, their remuneration
20:42 to be improved, why not?
20:44 Because that serves as a catalyst that speeds up the reaction of people trying to give their
20:50 all to the society.
20:53 Having that fall short of it creates all manner of disincentive for those who are in the industry.
20:59 But having talked about incentive, then we also must tie it to what?
21:06 The output.
21:07 That yes, now that they've received something that they have worked for and it has been
21:14 approved for them, we also want them to step up their game.
21:17 The story of files getting missing and all that, the problems associated with judicial
21:25 service, we want them to bring it to the barest minimum so that our judiciary will stand the
21:30 test of time.
21:32 I want to also move on to the present call for the need to improve agriculture so as
21:40 to what?
21:42 Move it into another level where there's a value addition.
21:45 We have had this time and again and you did not miss when you talk about the records we
21:51 have received over the years for the past six years when we are talking about this government.
21:56 It's becoming one too many and every time that they mention, let's move the country
22:05 on to value addition level and all that.
22:09 Sometimes I ask myself, are we serious as a state?
22:12 Part of the problem is that we as a society have been so gullible and we have not taken
22:17 politicians on for the things that they promise us.
22:21 When we are getting to election, they come around and then dole out resources to us and
22:26 we are good to go.
22:27 These are some of the things that affect our very survival.
22:30 If a government fails to do that, we show the government the exit.
22:34 We have been too charitable to government and that's why they've got the penchant of
22:39 doing what they are doing.
22:41 The economy, nothing can save the Ghanaian economy if you don't industrialize, if you
22:46 don't add value.
22:48 When are we going to do that?
22:49 The issue of 1D, 1F you are talking about and the rest of them.
22:54 Some are nothing but white elephant and we have sunk in a lot.
22:58 Last I was talking to a professor of economics at Lagos and he was educating me on some of
23:03 the things that really affected our economy and I asked myself, wow, how can we fix that?
23:10 Look at buildings that we have put up and they are in the bush.
23:16 Have you thought about the fact that we took resources to erect them and have you put effective
23:23 use on them?
23:24 Have you ensured prudence and all that?
23:27 These are the little things that take us to the IMF.
23:34 Hello Doc?
23:37 Doc's feed seems to have been frozen.
23:40 Okay, Doc I can hear you now.
23:42 Could you quickly wrap on that point so we get into other papers?
23:45 So I'm saying that going forward we need to put our acts together and make sure that what
23:51 we tell the people we deliver at the end of the day and when we fail people must master
23:55 the courage and throw government out of the elections.
23:58 Right, I said we would move on but just quickly on the international front, former Ghana Twitter
24:03 employees having anxiety attacks and some of Twitter's former employees in Africa have
24:09 told the BBC that they are tired of the drawn out negotiations over their severance pay.
24:14 On Monday the BBC reported that the social media company had been silent since May on
24:18 all negotiations with the ex-employees' lawyers following the massive layoffs in November
24:24 last year, including Ghana.
24:25 I hear even the Ghana caucus has been blocked by Elon Musk and that their severance pay
24:33 has not been given to them.
24:34 They are being treated very differently from those in other parts of the world, the United
24:38 States among others.
24:40 Again it talks about how porous our systems are so that we can allow these foreign entities
24:45 to do whatever they like over here.
24:47 Why should other people in different jurisdictions be treated differently from those in Ghana
24:52 for example?
24:53 Russia Great Deal exit stab in the back, that's according to Kenya.
24:57 We know that the Russians are saying the deal in the Black Sea may have to come to an abrupt
25:03 end and Russia's withdrawal from the deal allowing Ukraine to safely export grain through
25:08 the Black Sea is a stab in the back for those in drought hit countries, Kenya, the Kenyan
25:14 government has said.
25:16 But let's move on quickly from there to the Daily Guide newspaper.
25:19 ADBMD endorses a confit factory model.
25:23 Akosia Menou files for a dentists seat and yesterday she was telling my colleague Evans
25:27 Mensah that she is funding her campaign through funds being generated by I think family, friends,
25:34 so colleagues from school and all of that.
25:36 I found it rather interesting.
25:38 Baoumya campaign team unveiled Sami Oku leads, refund MP aspirants money, MPP neck says so
25:45 and Jatikwesan trial resumes.
25:48 Let's go to page three and just do those stories there very quickly.
25:53 So the National Executive Committee of the ruling new patriotic party has urged all regional
25:58 executive committees of the party to immediately cease issuing any orders on the conduct of
26:02 parliamentary primaries in often constituencies.
26:06 It also wants all money taken from prospective parliamentary candidates pursuant to these
26:11 quote, unauthorized and unapproved directives be refunded to them in line with the letter
26:16 and spirit of this communication.
26:18 The neck in a statement issued and signed by the party's general secretary, Justin Kodya
26:21 from Pong said its attention had been drawn to quote various directives issued by some
26:27 regional executive committees to aspiring candidates on the conduct of the party's
26:31 upcoming parliamentary primaries in quote often constituencies.
26:36 The directives include but are not limited to the fixing of tentative dates for the conduct
26:40 of the parliamentary primaries.
26:42 It goes on and on.
26:45 Let me just get to this, so typhoon lashes China as the extreme weather grips Asia.
26:52 A lot there to talk about and in the entertainment spread, Akon admits pretending to be African
27:01 prince and he has confessed to lying about his background in the past, pretending to
27:06 be an African prince.
27:08 Well, it's good that he's now come out to say what is and then Mitchie I'm talking about
27:15 Shaka Mitchie empowers youth with hustle.
27:18 Anyway, those are the stories there.
27:20 Any reactions to this bit about a refund for MP aspirants money, doc?
27:27 I think I'll look at that.
27:30 If you look at what we are talking about, then the problem stems from the fact that
27:36 institutions either are broken down within the party or are very weak.
27:41 And when I say institutions, I'm talking about the rules, the procedures, the processes,
27:45 the norms and what have you.
27:48 Any party with assault is supposed to have institutions that stand the test of time.
27:52 And at each point in time, communication comes through, but it comes from a directed source
27:59 where it is known, verified and you you you check the recipient whether they received
28:07 the right information.
28:09 So I'm surprised that to hear that people give conflicting information to the stand
28:17 that now the party is saying that whatever money is that you have received from such
28:21 people, you should refund them.
28:24 Going forward, I think that this doesn't augur well for a party such as MPP, which pride
28:32 itself with rule of law.
28:35 They believe that all these things can be fixed if the team put it together and ensure
28:44 that communication comes from a particular source and then filters through the process
28:48 and get to everybody at the right time.
28:53 Let's let's wrap up with these stories.
28:54 I'll take something from the Finder, the Ghanaian publisher and the new publisher.
28:59 The Finder newspaper regurgitates some of the stories we've already looked at.
29:03 Ghana, Portugal signed defence and economic pacts.
29:06 There's also Access Bank acquires standard chartered in five countries.
29:10 But there's Agenda 111 bricks suppliers cry foul over unilateral substitution of compressed
29:16 earth bricks with cement blocks.
29:19 That's the major story there.
29:20 And I'm going to take a look at it.
29:22 So compressed earth bricks, that is CED, which can reduce costs by between 20 and 40 percent
29:29 in the construction of Agenda 111 health facilities, has been ditched, squeezing the manufacturers
29:34 engaged to supply the bricks into serious financial crisis.
29:37 The manufacturers imported at least 20 specialized machines and accessories with an average price
29:42 of each machine pegged at over $45,000, depending on its capacity.
29:48 Now, by unilaterally substituting compressed earth bricks with sand creed bricks blocks,
29:54 the manufacturers who contracted bank loans to invest say they cannot serve the loans
30:00 and will be forced to sell their personal assets to pay them off.
30:05 Now, apart from the cost savings, the use of the bricks will help reduce Ghana's carbon
30:09 footprint to attain sustainable development goals on climate change and achieve carbon
30:14 neutrality.
30:15 But my problem here, Doc, the point that it appears we always it's almost as though we
30:22 didn't know where we wanted to go.
30:24 So you tell people something, look at the buffer stock and how they have struggled with
30:28 dealing with suppliers.
30:30 Now, here we are.
30:32 Those who are supposed to supply bricks for Agenda 111 are also saying this is what is
30:37 happening to us.
30:38 You make them contract loans.
30:40 They purchase this equipment and now you change from the CED to sand creed blocks.
30:46 What do you expect them to do?
30:47 Look at the cost of securing loans at this point in time.
30:50 What are your expectations of them?
30:52 Then there is the Ghanaian publisher Obi Amwa condemns acrimony among aspirants, of course,
30:58 the party's aspirants.
30:59 But this one is the story I'm going to do.
31:01 Minister slams Kennedy at Japan, tells him to stop acting greedy or greedily if you like.
31:08 So that story, let me just get to it.
31:12 The member of parliament for Takradi, Kwabena Ochere Dakomensa, has taken a swipe at the
31:17 outspoken businessman and MP for us in central Kennedy at Japan.
31:20 According to Mr. Dakomensa, who is also the Western regional minister, Mr. Japong is acting
31:25 greedily and unfairly attacking the government.
31:28 And a few, and a fellow contender in the race, Vice President Dr. Baumya, speaking in an
31:33 interview on Takradi based radio 360 on Monday, the minister shielded Baumya from a scathing
31:38 attack by Mr. Japong, who recently blamed Baumya for Ghana's economic woes.
31:44 And there's a lot he's been saying on that trajectory.
31:48 And finally, Akoto woos delegates with plantain trees.
31:51 That's the new publisher newspaper.
31:52 How is he doing that?
31:54 That story is on page three, and I'm talking about Dr. Akoto Efreye.
31:59 So former minister of food and agriculture, Dr. Akoto, who prides himself as having transformed
32:04 Ghana's agricultural sector, is leaving nothing to chance and uses that as a major trump card.
32:10 Now guess what he's been showing up with recently.
32:13 During the campaigns, the plantain tree was displayed as a symbol of the planting for
32:18 food and jobs program implemented by Dr. Akoto as minister of agriculture from 2017 to January
32:24 2023.
32:25 So he has been displaying plantain trees and saying, look, this is what you can expect
32:30 should I become president someday.
32:32 Quick thoughts?
32:33 Yeah, I'll talk about the minister slamming candidate Japong.
32:40 I'm surprised the minister is taking such a position.
32:43 For me, it's nothing but hypocritical because we have also received reports in the media
32:49 why the vice president has also been attacking Mr. Japong.
32:53 What do you expect?
32:54 You think Mr. Japong will not respond?
32:56 I'm not a spokesman for Mr. Japong, but I'm looking at the issue fairly because if there
33:02 are statements that the vice president made directed towards Mr. Japong, obviously Mr.
33:05 Japong will respond.
33:07 But what we are saying is that if the party doesn't take care, these things will ruin
33:12 them the more because if those who are contesting for position, they decide not to go on the
33:25 route of having messages, real messages that resonate with the people, but they're trying
33:31 to engage in character assassination, they will end up destroying themselves.
33:37 And you know, one of them will emerge victorious.
33:41 By what time the person has been destroyed already.
33:44 So I'm wondering if such a situation arises, how are they going to repair the damaged image
33:49 of that person if they really want to sell the person to Ghanaians for elections?
33:54 It's going to be a difficult one.
33:56 And I expect the Council of Elders to put their foot down without fear or favor.
34:01 It seems to me the Council of Elders has been too slow, too sluggish in dealing with this
34:05 situation because it's getting out of hand.
34:08 There are real issues that should confront them.
34:11 And that should be the thing that should engage the attention of those who really want power.
34:16 But character assassination, you know, outbursts, unnecessary outbursts and insults and all
34:21 that doesn't gel well for a party that really wants to maintain power and continue the forward
34:29 march of the democratic agenda.
34:30 I believe the time is now for well-meaning members of the party to call all aspirants
34:37 and then let them work them to a certain code of conduct so as to save themselves.
34:43 Otherwise then there are more difficulties ahead of them.
34:48 I am not a prophet of doom, but from where I sit, I can see that.
34:52 Right.
34:53 Well, Doc, thank you so much for joining us.
34:56 As always, refreshing having you.
34:58 I wish you the best of the day, sir.
35:00 Thank you.
35:01 I wish you a good day, sir.
35:02 All right.
35:03 So, Dr. Kami Asasanti is a political scientist, also director of the Center for European Studies
35:08 at the University of Ghana.
35:09 As we cap off the conversation today, I have to remind you that this segment always brought
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35:46 But we still have a lot more coming your way this morning in sports.
35:51 Up next.
35:52 [Music]