Mr. President, I like you, but I no longer trust your government on pensions. Sorry

It is mortifying to learn that the current government, apparent practitioners of social democratic values have by their actions on pensions showed they cannot be trusted by their core base. The latest in the twisted and horrifying fate of Ghanaian workers is that the government has secretly began an amendment process to change the Pension Act to fit an ill-transparent plan on the usage of pension funds without the involvement of the necessary stakeholders; workers, welfare groups and policy makers. This was not how the pension reforms culminating in Act 766 came about. There were very widely held consultative meetings and discussions.

Citi FM reports that 12 labour unions believe and ‘’accused government and Parliament of disrespecting unions by amending sections of the Pensions Act without their knowledge. They claim the amendment when approved by the President will lead to a decrease in their tier one contributions. The Executive Secretary of the Civil and Local Government Staff Association of Ghana (CLOGSAG), Isaac Bampoe-Addo who addressed the media also accused government of using the amendment as a ploy to divert attention from their earlier demands on the payment of their tier two contributions.

“The amendment at this point in time cast doubts on the motive of government in the implementation of the pension reform,” he said. “the amendment could lead to a decrease in the payment of the tier one contributions to workers.

Pension reforms far-sightedly started by the previous NPP government had all the markings of a good pension plan for all Ghanaian workers who were constantly short-changed by the rather unaccountable Social Security and National Insurance Trust. Indeed, the previous government had real pension professionals, actuarial scientists whose only condition for accepting to lead SSNIT was non-interference from government. In the case of the first pension managing director under the previous NPP government, it took him close to a year before accepting to work independently. His tenure was gratifying. He had prepared SSNIT to not only account properly but had a much befitting balance sheet and a clear sustainable plan to keep the trust in good stead for the next two decades even without continuous worker contributions.

Unfortunately nothing good can be said about the management of SSNIT since 2009. The pension reforms have been rendered useless first by deliberately not resourcing the National Pensions Regulator (NPRA) to be able to take charge and implement the reforms. Unaccountable characters had either by design or nature manned the board of the NPRA since 2009.

Until 2014, the board of the NPRA interfered with all decisions management took for the worse and in most cases acting as management. Yet, the tier two pensions that should have been properly supervised by a functional NPRA were all illegally kept and surreptitiously managed for nearly FOUR years returning less than 3% out of the promised 17% averaged treasury bill rates in the four years. There was no accountability. We ended up this year with the harrowing knowledge that millions of tier two pension funds had gone missing and as we know today, there is NOT a single source in government nor the NPRA that can tell Ghanaian workers what exactly their tier tow pension funds had accumulated and where those funds are.

Sorry Mr. President, I do not trust your government on pensions at all and quite frankly does not befit your party’s Social Democratic tag. It seems inaptly applied here. I want to believe Ghana's development partners will take a cue from such harrowing accounts of how livelihoods could be decimated under precarious management of a developing country’s pensions and advice accordingly since frankly all policy-oriented think tanks in Ghana do not seem to have a listening ear and implementation hands on crucial development matters for some time now. But we are still interested in helping this country beyond the arcane politics. Next week, my think tank, IMANI will publish the list of 5 public sector agencies that are providing some inspiration beyond the dark clouds that seem not to go away.

A very dry merry Christmas to all Ghanaian workers.

Respectfully yours,

Franklin Cudjoe

Founding President & CEO, IMANI

www.imanighana.com

I never had HIV/AIDS...It was all lies-Ambassador

Joyce Dzidzor Mensah, Ghana’s highly respected HIV/AIDS Ambassador, has told News-One she had never tested positive for HIV but was only telling the nation and the world on a lie just to satisfy her selfish interest.

Joyce has claimed over the years that she was HIV positive but was a healthy person because she was on antiretroviral drugs.

She has had support and funding from several organizations, institutions, banks and civil society in her campaign across the country on how to prevent HIV and how persons who have tested positive can live healthily and happily with the virus.

Surprisingly, Joyce, 27, has told 'News-One' she was only a scammer and that she decided to engage in a wild public deceit so as to get a place to lay her head at a time her neighbors were wrongly accusing her of having HIV.

“I was known as the HIV ambassador. The story I shared in the past years was a fusion of my story and the stories of others. The truth of the matter is, I was never infected with HIV,” she said.

Meanwhile Dzidzor has toured several Ghanaian schools and mounted international platforms to fight the stigma against HIV & AIDS victims as well as encouraging young men and women to abstain from premarital sex and unprotected sex.

Below is exactly what Dzidzor said:

I met a man in my church where I used to fellowship. We fell in love but I didn’t know of his HIV status.

Though he knew he was HIV positive, he never told me. A member of the church who is a nurse once saw me with him and she called me to advise me. The nurse advised me to be careful with him because she knew of his HIV status. Unfortunately for me, I met the nurse just a day after I had sex with the man.

I then confided in the nurse and she asked me to quickly report at the hospital so that I can be given PEP (Post Exposure Profilaxis). I did exactly that in order not to contract the HIV virus.

I became pregnant though, but I decided to keep the pregnancy.

My boyfriend fell sick and died before I had the baby. People stigmatized me without knowing if I contract HIV from him or not. I was eventually beaten and thrown out of the house I was living in with my parents. Having nowhere to stay, I went to live in the secretariat of the associations of persons living with HIV.

I prayed along and behaved as if I had HIV too just to have a place to lay my head and learn from people living with HIV. I attended a lot of workshops organized by NGO’s on HIV just to equip myself with information. I heard lots of HIV interesting stories from people on stigma related issues.

At a point in time, I accepted and lived like a person living with HIV. And I always told my story as if I was living with HIV, I shared my story based on what I went through just to let people know that people with HIV are normal human beings.

I would have contracted the virus and probably died but God saved me. That was why going to schools to educate them became my passion just for students to abstain from premarital sex.

Why I Acted As A Person Living With HIV

I realized that there was no way of defending myself when people started gossiping about me in my neighbourhood. It was because my boyfriend in the church died of AIDS and my church members and neighbours knew he died of AIDS. There was no way I could ever defend myself.

At a point, I had to accept the situation at hand. I knew there was going to be a time the truth about my status was going to come out, and this is the time.

I plead with the general public and my fans not to be disappointed in me for acting all these years. It was worth it because a lot of lives were saved through my advocacy work.

I also sincerely apologise to the hundreds of churches I have been to with my message both in Ghana and abroad to forgive me. I did it to fight HIV stigma and discrimination.

I also plead with schools, institutions and banks who have all benefited from my story to forgive me.

I now therefore want to thank all who have supported me throughout these years one way or the other.

Why The Confession Now?

I want to officially announce to the general public that I am no more the HIV ambassador due to the fact that the First Lady has been made the HIV ambassador.

Also, there have been rumours in town that I am dead but as at now I don’t know the source of the information. I was out of the country for three months now and I returned only to be receiving calls and text messages asking if I’m dead. My stepfather nearly collapsed when he heard the news about my death. I want to inform everyone that I am not dead.

2 dead in shootings at Aflao

Two people have been shot and killed at their home in Aflao in the Volta Region. Three others who sustained gunshot wounds have also been rushed to the Aflao District hospital. Landlord's wife on admission at the Aflao District Hospital Joy News’ Volta Regional correspondent, Ivy Setordzi, reports that the five occupants of the house – the landlord, his wife and their child as well as two nephews, were attacked suddenly in their home by some unknown gunmen at about 5 am Monday morning. The Landlord also on admission at the Aflao District Hospital

The two nephews were shot during the attack and died instantly.

Eyewitnesses said the police failed to respond to their distress call saying that they do not have fuel in their vehicle.

Source:www.myjoyonline.com

Dust To Dust-Exopa Boss returns to his Maker

Few days after his untimely demise, former Chief Executive Officer of Exopa Modeling Agency, Ibrahim Sima has been laid to rest at the Tema Community 9 Cemetery in Ghana .

After a brief Islamic prayer by some loved ones and religious leaders, he has returned to dust from which he was created. He died on last week Thursday, night at the Police Hospital in Accra after being rushed there from Nsawam prison where he was serving a jail term for trafficking narcotics.

Chief Public Relations Officer of the Ghana Prisons Service, DSP Vitalis Aiyia explained that the convicted CEO was playing football when he collided with the goalkeeper but did not complain of injuries at the time. Later in the evening he started complaining of pains and was rushed to the Nsawam Government Hospital where his situation deteriorated. He was sent to the Police Hospital where he died.

The PRO was unable to immediately confirm the cause of death but said investigations are still ongoing. The EXOPA boss was arrested on September 7, 2009 at the Kotoka International Airport when a luggage search revealed tubers of yam in which were embedded narcotic substances.

Ibrahim was sentenced to 15 years imprisonment in 2011 for the attempted narcotics smuggling.

Sima denied the charges and told officials of the Narcotics Control Board, who interrogated him after his arrest, that the yams were given to him by one Salifu who resides in Nima, a suburb of Accra, to be given to a friend for a fee of 3,000 Euros.

Convicted Exopa CEO, Ibrahim Sima dies

He died on Thursday night at the Police Hospital in Accra after being rushed there from Nsawam prison where he was serving a jail term for trafficking narcotics.

Chief Public Relations Officer of the Ghana Prisons Service, DSP Vitalis Aiyia explained that the convicted CEO was playing football when he collided with the goalkeeper but did not complain of injuries at the time.

Later in the evening he started complaining of pains and was rushed to the Nsawam Government Hospital where his situation deteriorated. He was sent to the Police Hospital where he died.

The PRO was unable to immediately confirm the cause of death but said investigations are still ongoing.

The EXOPA boss was arrested on September 7, 2009 at the Kotoka International Airport when a luggage search revealed tubers of yam in which were embedded narcotic substances.

Ibrahim was sentenced to 15 years imprisonment in 2011 for the attempted narcotics smuggling. Sima denied the charges and told officials of the Narcotics Control Board, who interrogated him after his arrest, that the yams were given to him by one Salifu who resides in Nima, a suburb of Accra, to be given to a friend for a fee of 3,000 Euros.

'Gay doctor trial:4 lawyers 'grill' 16-year-old victim

Lawyers defending the Takoradi based doctor accused of sodomising a minor, on Wednesday subjected the victim to a grilling cross examination, Myjoyonline.com has learnt.

The cross examination was held in-camera at the Circuit Court 5 because the victim is a minor.

A close source told Myjoyjonline.com four lawyers defending Dr. Sulley Ali-Gabass were on hand to question the frail looking victim.

Dr. Sulley Ali-Gabass is facing two counts of defilement and having unnatural carnal knowledge of the alleged victim contrary to sections of the Criminal Code.

He has pleaded not guilty to the charges.The source say cross examination will continue tomorrow. The Takoradi based doctor was arrested and charged following a Joy News investigation carried out by Manasseh Azure-Awuni in which Dr. Gabass was accused of sodomising the 16-year-old victim.

The victim claimed he was sodomised on five different occasions by the man, whom he considered a mentor. His anal region was badly injured as a result of the sodomy and had to be operated upon to save his life. He has also contracted the deadly HIV, but Dr. Gabass says he is not to blame for the disease.

The court after the cross-examination of the victim is likely to invite a new witness for the prosecution.

Usurping the kings

It is for no reason that many football fans cried their hearts out including the players when ‘almighty’ Brazil fell from ‘grace’ to ‘grass’ to the German machine in the semi-final of the 2014 World Cup.

The match determined Brazil’s fate in the quest for the fifth time of lifting the most coveted trophy in world football. The match ending 7-1 led to so many speculations that the absence of Brazil’s poster boy; Neymar da Silva Santos Júnior, and captain Thiago Sylva played a major factor in their defeat.

Though the latter returned 3rd place match against Netherlands who lost against Argentina in the semis, his presence did little to restore the team’s hope. Losing to Netherlands 2-3 among other factors have led to Brazil’s coach Filepe Scolari dropped by the Brazilian Football Confederation.

One question that many people are asking is whether Brazil has its authority and respect in world football. Their question is against the backdrop of matches played and their performance prior to the semi-finals.

A GOOD FRIDAY....

It is not surprising that today is known as ‘Good Friday’ among Christians around the world. This day with its Biblical history behind had Jesus; the only son of God coming to redeem mankind.

His death in a form of crucifixion helped to bridge the gap which has been created between man and God as a result of sin by man. This period has come to be known as ‘Easter’ among some sects.

NPP sabotaged me in 2012- Moctar Bamba recalls

Aspiring National Organiser of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Alhaji Moctar Bamba, has accused leadership of the party of sabotaging him during the 2012 election campaign.

He said soon after his election as National Organiser, some senior people in the party including the national campaign team hijacked his position and resources allocated to his office, for the party’s Director of Operations.

“How were they expecting me to succeed if the Director of Operations at the time , Lord Commey was playing the very role I was supposed to ahead of the elections”, Bamba lamented.

Alhaji Moctar Bamba was speaking on Adom Midday News as part of the countdown to the ‘Special Delegates Congress’ which takes place on April 12, 2014.

He charged that when he attempted to protest against the treated meted out to him, some people plotted against him.

“You cannot feel happy and be part of a party in which your colleagues victimise you for expressing your views”.

He warned this time round, he will not tolerate the same attitude and frustration and will fight to protect the cause of freedom which NPP stands for.

“I want to sound a strong warning to anyone who intends relegating me to the background because I won’t tolerate it as I did in 2012.They have taken my leniency to be my weakness”, Alhaji Bamba cautioned.

He urged the party’s delegates to vote competent executives like him who will work hard for the party’s victory in 2016.

Parliament can revert UG’s powers-Deputy Minority leader

Deputy Minority leader, Dominic Nitiwul has stated that Parliament is considering reviewing the University of Ghana law to prevent what he described seeming abuse and bullying of the law by the authorities.

He argued that “If Parliament granted UG the power, then the same Parliament can review it,” he stated.

In an interview with Afia Pokua on Adom FM/Asempa FM’s Burning Issues, the Members of Parliament accused the University of creating unnecessary tension in the nation as a result of their insistent to enforce this toll and sticker rule.

The University of Ghana explains that the 2010 Act gives them the power to initiate income-generating projects and provides further asset which will be charged against the university, and not the state.

Dominic Nitiwul therefore urged UG officials to ease their demands and approach government to begin negotiations to end this impasse which he described as seriously affecting both students and parents most of whom he described gradually becoming “enemies” for the University.

He questioned why the university has not yet submitted its annual fianacial report to parliament as required by law and reminded the Ministry of Education to do so.

Meanwhile, A Political Science lecturer of UG, Dr. Evans Aggrey Darko says the University is ready to negotiate with government.

However, he maintained that UG’s decision to introduce toll, stickers among the other measures are to serve as a source of revenue generation not only for this current road project but also to maintain facilities.

“This is to leave behind a legacy for the future generation but posterity will judge us if we don’t put such measures in place”, he remarked.

He expressed worry that the hullabaloo about the toll has been misunderstand by the public adding that some of these attitude will discourage leadership of various institutions from taking initiative that will serve the future and support government.

The Member of Parliament for Abokobi-Madina MP, Alhaji Amadi Sorogho recounted his own experience with security guards of the university whiles on his way to parliament to lobby for a Fire station for the same University. He insisted that the University of Ghana is abusing its rights and cautioned them to be mindful that it could not operate as an island.

“When UG called for a Fire Service station due to population increase, I led in its establishment but I am denied entry even when I am visiting the station” he lamented.

Source:www.myjoyonline.com

Ghana underutilizing former Prez Kufuor - Spokesperson

Ex-President John Agyekum Kufuor’s spokesperson, Frank Agyekum has said the Ex-President is ever ready to serve Ghana but the country is not taking advantage of his experience like other countries are.

“As a former head of state, he is committed to the development of Ghana and is ready to serve when called upon,” he stated.

Frank Agyekum was speaking to Adom News about the former president’s recent participation in a donor’s conference in France, where he helped Senegalese President Macky Sall to raise more than nine trillion CFA Francs for Senegal.

Agyekum said the former president is ready to extend a similar gesture to Ghanaian President John Mahama, but he could only do that if he is asked.

“Although I cannot answer to why he is not being consulted on issues, he has always expressed his support for President John Dramani Mahama,” Agyekum said.

He recalled how Former President Kufuor’s defied protests from his own party members and attended the President Mahama’s swearing-in to show his support.

Frank Agyekum also wondered why successive governments in Ghana relegate former presidents to the background while other countries continue to benefit from the experiences of those former presidents.

Touching on the purpose of the money former President Kufuor helped to raise for Senegal, he said the money was to support a development plan dubbed “Emerging Senegal”, aimed at doubling Senegal’s economic growth over the next 10 years.

Various Ministers of President Sall’s government made presentations of their development plans at the conference attended by the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund, the French government, the United States Development Agency, the Department for Foreign International Development of the UK, the African Development Bank, and the Kuwaiti Fund among others.

The "Emerging Senegal" programme aims to boost output from agriculture, fisheries and agro-industry, as well as the mining sector and tourism.

It also hopes to make Senegal a logistics hub offering access to West Africa's market of some 300 million people.

Sports is almost dead in Ghana – Odotei

Football Administrator, Vincent Odotei has said that sports is almost dead in Ghana due to lack of effective leadership, policies and skills.

"What we lack is leadership to formulate the right policies and the one to drive the policies to attract the right skills,” he said.

Vincent Odotei was speaking with Afia Pokua the Vim Lady about the contribution of sports to the country’s economy on Adom FM/Asempa FM’s Burning Issues.

According to him, in the 1990s, the sports sector of the United Kingdom was worse, but that country decided to make it a national priority and it is now paying off massively through the English Premier League, athletics and others.

“UK did it but the way sports is managed in this country leaves much to be desired,” Odotei lamented.

“How can we allow tennis, athletics among other sporting activities to die without making attempt to revive it,” he asked.

Odotei argued that sports has the potential of creating carriers and employment in the country and thereby contributing to economic growth if leadership invested in it.

Meanwhile, former President of Ghana Football Association, Lepo-Wura Alhaji Mohammed Nurudeen Jawula expressed the need to have a holistic approach to dealing with sports management in the country.

According to him, despite the poor management and contribution of sports sector at home, some past and current Ghanaian athletes/footballers both home and abroad continue to contribute their quota to the economy.

He thinks there is need to “restructure the sports industry to set the tone for the needed huge investments that would transform the sector into a major contributor to economic growth.

The former GFA Boss cited the relatively huge salaries of Ghanaian footballers playing abroad as an example of a source of funds for investment in the sectors.

Successive governments fail sports sector - Rex Danquah

Former Chairman of the Local Organization Committee (LOC) for CAN 2008, Rex Danquah has said that successive governments have failed the sports sector in Ghana.

“None of the governments over the years has made sports a priority, leading to its current state,” he said.

Rex Danquah was speaking with Afia Pokua the Vim Lady on Adom FM/Asempa FM’s Burning Issues about how Ghana can take advantage of sports to develop the economy.

The government of Ghana spent millions of dollars in constructing and upgrading stadia in Tamale, Essipong, Accra and Kumasi.

But Danquah observed that all the stadia and other structures built ahead of the CAN 2008 are current in deplorable states due to lack of maintenance.

“Visit the various stadia built for CAN 2008 tournament and you will be shocked at the extent of damage,” he said.

According to him, governments’ non-commitment to sports is evident in the number of pages dedicated to others sectors in the national budget and the State of the Nation address, while sports is virtually neglect.

He suggested that aside football matches, the stadia could serve as venue for conferences, events, car park among other things that can earn some revenue for the country.

Danquah bemoaned successive governments’ lack of interest in adopting recommendations made after CAN 2008 to maintain stadia and maximize the country’s gains from them.

“Nobody has shown interest in applying recommendations I made in the report after CAN 2008 tournament”, he lamented.

He also stated that it would be difficult to develop sports in Ghana if there is no existing law. “Sports can fully develop if there is a law governing it,” he suggested.

Two-hour rains flood Accra

Two hours of torrential rain Friday afternoon inundated many parts of the capital, Accra with flood waters, rendering many roads almost impassable.

The floods have cause heavy vehicular traffic.Large parts of the Kwame Nkrumah circle, Kaneshie First Light and the Central Business District are completely submerged.

There are no reports of loss of lives.Myjoyonline.com's David Andoh reports that residents in the affected areas are busily scooping water from their flooded rooms.

The rains started at about 2pm and lasted barely two hours but left many residents devastated.

A shopkeeper at the Kwame Nkrumah Circle, Ama Dansuaa, who said she lost more than half of her wares to the floods, complained that the floods exposed the poor drainage system in the capital.

Like many petty traders, she has no insurance and rues Friday's floods.

Former Majority leader predicts disaster in NPP

Former Majority Leader, Abraham Osei Aidoo has described the recent outburst in the New Patriotic Party (NPP) as another recipe for disaster.

“What is happening in our party is not good and it is a recipe for another disaster,” he said.

Mr. Aidoo was speaking with Afia Pokua the Vim Lady Wednesday on Burning Issues on Adom FM and Asempa FM.

It would be recalled that NPP stalwart and financier Kennedy Agyapong has been campaigning vehemently against the current National Executive, accusing them of misappropriation of resources and calling them incompetent.

The Assin Central MP has even threatened to use $20million to form a new party and run the NPP down if the current National Chairman, Jake Obetsebi Lamptey retained his seat.

He has also threatened to quit Parliament and resign from the part if the executive dared to take him to the disciplinary committee of the party tom answer for his allegations against the executive.

Some of the executives, including the National Chairman and his First Vice, Fred Oware have fired back at Kennedy Agyapong.

Meanwhile the First Vice is also calling the National Chairman a liar because the latter said the former had shelved plans to run for the chairmanship.

Mr. Aidoo said such internal wrangling are driving floating voters away from the party like what happened in 2007 when 17 candidates fiercely contested for the party’s presidential slot.

He expressed his disappointment in the manner in which party stalwarts like Okere MP, Dan Botwe who are denying any wrangling in the party saying that behaving like an ostrich would not solve the problem.

Mr. Aidoo thinks among all the contestants for the position of General Secretary, Kwabena Agyapong fits the bill best.

Kwame Nkrumah on African Unity

Ghana, a big loser in $3bn Chinese loan deal - Dr. Lloyd Amoah

Senior Lecturer at Ashesi University and Afro-Chinese Relations expert, Dr. Lloyd Amoah has said Ghana is a big loser in the US$3billion Chinese Development Bank (CDB) deal.

“Using the Jubilee Oil Field as collateral for the loan should not have happened in the first place because that move collided with the Petroleum Revenue Management Act, Act 815, 2011” he said.

Dr. Lloyd Amoah made this statement in an interview with Afia Pokua on Burning Issues.

The loan conditions also require that Ghana begins repayment ahead of the full advancement of the loan.

As a result, the Chinese has so far advanced US$600million out of the proposed US$3billion, and Ghana has already put US$72million into an escrow account as part of the repayment condition under the loan agreement.

In the agreement, Ghana will be supplying China 13,000 barrels of crude oil daily, which is the share of Ghana's oil in the Jubilee Field.

The Ghanaian Parliament gave its assent to the agreement in February 2012 under the leadership of the then Deputy Speaker and now Speaker, Right Honorable Edward Doe Adjaho.

Dr. Amoah said Ghana identified some lapses in the deal after signing it and has so far paid about $292,000 as administrative expenses for the amendment.

He however noted that in spite of the down side of the loan agreement, Ghana stands to benefit if the loan is acquired and put to good use.

Asked whether Ghana should take any legal action in the international court, he said Ghanaians must rather pressurize the government to ensure that all of the US$3billion arrives as promised.

Meanwhile, MP for New Juaben South Dr. Mark Assibey Yeboah disagreed with the assertion that Parliament supervised a deal that has landed Ghana in a ditch.

He argued that the benefits were overwhelming, but admitted that there were excesses such as the US$25million the country would pay this year despite the fact that the Chinese have advanced on US$600million so far.

Dr. Assibey Yeboah therefore called for renegotiation of the deal to clear some excesses.

Former Vice Chairman of the Finance Committee in Parliament and former MP for Sege, Alfred Abayete saw nothing wrong with the loan but was concerned about those who would work with the money and the possibility of embezzlement.

An expert in China-Ghana Relations, Prof. Adams Andrew Adjei, currently lecturers in China said the Chinese have not respect for African so he was surprised Ghana entered into a loan agreement with China.

He cautioned that the Chinese will not forgive the loan even if Ghana ran into problems so Ghana should be circumspect that extent to which they relate with the Chinese.

Story by:Kwame Yankah

BP overtakes Malaria as number one killer – GHS Boss

The Director General of Ghana Health Service (GHS), Dr. Ebenezer Appiah Denkyira has revealed that High Blood Pressure (BP) has overtaken Malaria as the number one killer in the country.

He was speaking on Adom FM/Asempa FM’s ‘Burning Issues’ talk show with Afia Pokua the Vim Lady.

The discussion focused on how to prevent sudden deaths like what happened to Ace Ghanaian BBC World News Anchor Komla Dumor.

Dr. Appiah Denkyira noted that the country paid great attention to preventing malaria-related death to the detriment of BP, which was at the second spot.

“No malaria-related deaths have reduced considerably and our records show that BP is the number one killer in the country now,” he said.

He attributed the increasing cases of high BP to several factors, including stress due to traffic congestion, excessive thinking, inactive lifestyle, and fatty foods among other things.

Dr. Appiah Denkyira advised those in their mid-30s to check their pressure regularly.

He also urged regular exercising, spending quality time with friends, and resting as stress releasers.

Meanwhile, Minority Chief Whip in Parliament and MP for Okere, Dan Kwaku Botwe who also spoke on the show said it was time for Ghanaians to move away from curative to preventive health.

“Our focus should now be on how to prevent diseases rather than seeking cure,” he said.

He observed that Komla Dumor’s death has suddenly become a reference point for discussion on individuals’ health, saying that Ghanaians only remember to pay attention to their health after a misfortune like Dumor’s unexpected demise.

Dan Botwe believes preventive health is possible if the needed personnel and facilities are made available across Ghana.

According to him, it is high time changes were made to the National Health Insurance Scheme to cover check-ups and others.

“We don’t have to reinvent the wheel - we must rather take advantage of the expertise of Ghanaians with overseas experience in preventive health to improve the scheme,” he said. “Political will is all that is left to see these things coming into fruition.”

Dan Kwaku Botwe therefore called on all stakeholders including the media to continue sensitizing the public on preventive rather than curative health lifestyles.

Meanwhile Wa West MP and Chairman for Parliamentary Select Committee on Health, Joseph Yieleh Chireh said for years there was no medical doctor in his constituency and residents had to travel 45 miles to Wa for medical assistance.

He said such a situation stifles preventive health, adding however that a doctor has only recently been posted to his district and he is due to start work on 26th January this year.

The MP however noted that due to lack of medical facilities and other resources in the northern parts of the country, medical practitioners had often refused postings to the area.

He was hopeful that Ghana’s health system would get better over time.

Story by:Kwame Yankah