Wednesday, November 12, 2025
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Do not exacerbate tensions with Fulani herders… 

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Even as we tackle the Fulani menace in parts of the Ashanti Region, a security analyst, Dr. Kwesi Aning, is calling for a revision of the strategy. “Operation Cow Leg, driven by the shoot the cattle strategy, is confrontational, is dangerous, is aggravating the problem,” Aning notes.

Corroborating this stance is Director of the Animal Research Institute of the Council for Scientific Research (CSIR), Professor E. K. Adu, who also addressed the manner in which government is tackling the Fulani menace by advising it to tread cautiously.

Professor Adu reminds us that even as we launch reprisals at the herdsmen, the people who own the cows are Ghanaians; thus, there is a need to engage the cattle owners themselves. Dr. Adu warns that the Fulani ethnic group, which he said constitutes a substantial population within the Sahel region, may respond with equal force and thereby escalate the problem.

The position of this Paper is an ambivalent one, since we acknowledge the seriousness of the problem and what farming communities suffer at the hands of these herders. Especially since the situation is not limited to Ghana, as Nigeria recently had to bury the dead who had been embroiled in recent Fulani attacks.

This problem has existed for centuries, whereby cattle grazers come into conflict with farmers determined to protect their crops. The utmost tact is required in dealing with this problem, and indiscriminately killing cows is not a solution to the problem. It only aggravates it and heightens the security situation.

The problem appears to be escalating, with the herdsmen emboldened enough to attack ‘men in uniform’ – which can equally be viewed as an attack on the state. We propose a dialogue with cattle owners to impress upon them the seriousness of the situation, and that they will be held responsible if any security personnel are hurt or even killed in carrying out orders.

The communities must also desist from exacting vengeance on the animals, and the herders must allow the security agencies to tackle the matter as they see fit. Such reprisal attacks only heighten the tension and makes communities in such zones unsafe.

Let us holistically deal with this menace in a manner that satisfies all sides, rather than this tit-for-tat approach. The presence of the security personnel in itself should be enough deterrent to put the fear of God in these herders.

Let’s find a lasting solution to premix diversion

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Last year January (2017), premix fuel consignments loaded from the Tema Oil Refinery were not delivered to the intended destinations indicated on the Invoices and Returns of the Oil Marketing Companies – OMCs.

 In all instances although the product was documented to be bound for the Volta Region, they ended up in Accra according to reliable information. Premix oil diversion is a matter of concern to coastal communities because of the commodity’s importance to the fishing industry.

Stakeholders, after a crucial meeting over the matter, among other things decided that all premix fuel outlets in the country will be reviewed for compliance with standard requirements – and those that fall short will be closed down.

It therefore comes as welcome news that the Ministry for Fisheries and Aquaculture Development has terminated its contract with some Oil Marketing Companies over their involvement in the diversion of premix fuel across the country.

Contracts of about 25 Oil Marketing Companies involved in the distribution of premix oil across the country have been terminated. According to the ministry the companies were found guilty of diversion, hence the decision to stop them from distributing the product.

This sends a strong signal that the NPA is not prepared to compromise on the distribution of premix fuel by unscrupulous middlemen whose only motive is profiteering.

The Executive Director of the Chamber of Bulk Oil Distributors (CBOD), Senyo Hosi, has long advised scrapping the subsidy on premix fuel since such monies are only ending up in private pockets through diversion of the commodity meant for the country’s fisher-folk.

Government reportedly spends nearly GH¢200million to subsidise the commodity annually. Some inland fisher-folk have revealed that diversion of the commodity is a goldmine for political party executives, since it is often a political tool.

The rationale behind the subsidy is understandable, since it is meant to shore-up the ailing fishing industry; but its abuse by various political regimes makes one wonder whether government should continue to subsidise premix fuel, especially since it lines the pocket of a few individuals.

Terminating the contracts of those found culpable in diversion is good, but we need to address the commodity’s long-term distribution to fishing communities so that outboard motors can be fuelled for fishing purposes.

Stakeholders, together with the Ministry of Fisheries and Aquaculture, need to deliberate on the way forward with premix fuel distribution.

‘Start-ups must look for investors in their field of business’

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For start-ups looking for sustained funding, the best way to access the right funding is to look out for investors who have experience in their field of business, Dr. Belinda Gail Quarterman Noah, Executive Director of the Founder Institute, a world premier idea-stage accelerator and start-up launch programme, has said.

They [start-ups] should first understand the best practices needed to operate a successful and enduring global company but the key is to find an investor that has some type of experience in your industry, so they will quickly understand the problem that you are solving, and your solution.

If you make the mistake of pursuing investors that have no experience in your industry, you will create a much harder road for yourself, because they will not have the natural sense of empathy for your company and industry,” she told the B&FT in an interview on start-ups and the challenges faced in accessing funding.

Even though start-ups continually spring up on the continent, many die out before they reach year two. Statistics by the Harvard Business School shows that 75 percent of venture-backed start-ups fail globally. While start-ups in the west do face financing or funding challenges, the situation in Ghana and Africa is much worse.

Other challenges include limited capital and knowledge, unavailability of suitable technology, low production capacity, ineffective marketing strategies, lack of capacity to identify new markets, constraints on modernisation & expansions, unavailability of highly skilled labour at affordable cost, bureaucratic delays and a maze of rules in following up with various government agencies to resolve problems.

In short, African start-ups lack the needed infrastructure and strong government policies to protect and support them put up their best to contribute to economic development.

To circumvent some of these challenges, Dr. Noah noted that African entrepreneurs should form a coalition and lobby their respective governments to design policies and procedures which are conducive to creating public/private partnership opportunities for start-ups and policies and procedures that will attract foreign venture capitalists and investors.

African investors changing the funding story

Despite the growing challenges, Dr. Noah pointed out that the funding challenge is gradually fading out. “The African start-up struggle for the smallest of finance has changed. In the early days of African entrepreneur ecosystems, few start-ups made it to a major Series C round of funding. However, there is now more opportunity for African venture funds to back local African entrepreneurs than in the past.

This has opened up more opportunities for Ghanaian and other African start-ups to receive funding because the African VC better understands the nuances of the local African market. In addition, the globalization of the best practices of Silicon Valley by the Founder Institute is enhancing African start-ups ability to successfully engage with all investors on a global level,” she said.

Impact of incubators and Founder Institute

She noted that the impact of start-up incubators have been positive for their development over the years. “Start-up programmes and accelerators such as the Founder Institute are now training aspiring entrepreneurs in Ghana and elsewhere in Africa on the best practices used by successful global companies to operate their companies.

For example, our mission is to ‘Globalize Silicon Valley’. Such training is enhancing the opportunities for the graduates of the programme to attract the attention and receive funding from investors.I must say that the Founder Institute is more than living up to the task, as indicated by the feedback we have received from our Founders and as indicated by the success of our graduates.

We operate in 170 cities, 60 countries, and six continents. Our graduate companies estimated portfolio value is in excess of US$15 billion, and our graduate companies have received over US$600million dollars in funding. Moreover, 72percent of our graduate companies are still operating after two years, whereas over 90percent of start-ups fail that have not graduated from the Founder Institute,” she added.

Through a challenging and rigorous curriculum, the Founder Institute provides early-stage and aspiring entrepreneurs with the structure, training, mentor feedback, global network, and lifetime of support needed to start an enduring company.

The organisation just launched the ‘Star Fellow’ programme which will follow the same programme as the core curriculum, however, in order to assist with the unique challenges of developing a space-related business, Star Fellows will receive additional mentorship and support throughout the programme, such as access to Star Fellow Mentors and other global star fellows.

“Many leaders of the world’s fastest-growing companies have used our programme to transition from employee to entrepreneur, test their start-up ideas, build a team, get their first customers, raise funding, and more. In addition, our global partners include Amazon Web Services, FbStart from Facebook, Girls in Tech, LivePlan, Google Cloud Platform, KPMG, and many more,” she added.

She noted that the Founder Institute works with Ghanaian entrepreneurs before they even have a team, company, validated idea, product, strategy or plan, and provides them with a structured process, expert mentorship, and a global network to launch their company or push their idea forward.

“At the Founder Institute, we believe that our reach should always exceed our grasp, because this is how we achieve the impossible. Since we first launched in 2009, this philosophy has extended to our graduates who have gone on to reach quite impressive milestones year after year in every corner of the globe. Some of our global success stories include Udemy,RealtyMogul, TravelCar, and Peerby.

In Ghana, our first class graduatedrecently and we expect that they will join their fellow Founder Institute graduates by becoming very impactful and successful global companies. The Ghana cohort includes the following companies: AkooBooks Limited; Jariar; EazyWaste Services Limited; TrustFarm LLC; TeraCargo; Crowdtrader Limited; Signaleats; Origma Technologies; and Newsbag.”

Russia sets aside US$1bn to boost trade ties with Ghana

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The Russian Federation has set aside US$1billion to assist Russian companies wanting to invest in the Ghanaian economy, in a move aimed at reinvigorating the sixty-year old diplomatic relations that exist between the two countries and which were strongest in the Nkrumah era.

The Russian Embassy in Accra has been celebrating 60 years of established diplomatic relations with Ghana, and at a reception in that regard Chairman of the Ghana Russian Business Development Council, Dr. Lawrence Awuku-Boateng, explained that Ghanaian business people wanting do business with Russia will also be assisted.

The money, he said, will be disbursed through the Russian Export Centre.

“I am glad to announce that the Russian government has decided to assist all Russian Companies who would like to work in Ghana, and Ghanaian companies who would like to do business with the Russians should contact the Embassy or Council for assistance.”

In an interview with B&FT at the event, Ambassador of the Russian Federation H. E. Dmitry Suslov said his country is committed to building “sustainable partnerships” with Ghana.

“I can see Ghana now attracts more Russian businesses due to its stable democracy, sustainable macroeconomic performance and the advanced business infrastructure.

“The importance of Ghana to Russia as an anchor partner country within the West Africa region is in a way being recognised and affirmed by the continuous presence of Russian delegations in the country,” he said.

Russia has shown keen interest in playing a major role in the Akufo-Addo government’s plan to revamp Ghana’s railway sector.

Its railway company, Geo Services, has said it is ready to invest over US$12.5billion in the redevelopment of Ghana’s Railway network.

Its CEO, Sergey Kamnev, told the B&FT in December that if his company wins the bid, Ghana should expect nothing but the best in railway infrastructure.

Mr. Kamnev led a delegation to attend the market-sounding event organised by the Ministries of Railways Development and Transport, on development of the Eastern Railway Line and Boankra Inland Port projects.

Government is seeking to enter into a Public, Private Partnership arrangement for the two specific projects, for which an estimated US$2.4billion is required.

Figures show that the volume of trade between Ghana and the Russian Federation reached an all-time high of US$257million in 2016, although both sides agrees that there is more room for improvement.

Currently, Russian exports to Ghana consist of fuel, fertilisers, cardboard and paper, while Ghanaian exports to Russia are mainly cocoa beans and other agricultural products.

To enhance the diplomatic, bilateral, and trade ties between the two countries, the Russian Federation has established the Ghana Russian Business Development Council to help in linking up business, education and culture.

“We have brought stability to the power sector” – President Akufo-Addo

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President Akufo-Addo

President Akufo-Addo has said that his government, over the past twelve months, has brought relative stability to the power sector in place of the erratic power situation popularly known as dumsor that it inherited.

Highlighting his government’s achievements in its first year in office, the president underlined the importance of ensuring a stable power supply for industry toward job-creation and productivity.

“Adequate power supply is critical to the operation and success of industry, especially the small and medium-scale enterprises which provide the bulk of employment,” he said.

The president was speaking at a meeting with the media at the Flagstaff House, to discuss the performance of his administration in its first year of office.

He said his government has put in place various policies and programmes to ensure continuous power supply at affordable rates for households and industry.

“An Industrial Development Tariff has been approved for industry to enhance its competitiveness.  A new rate of US$6.50 per Million British Thermal Units (MMBtu), as against the previous rate US$8.84 per Million British Thermal Units (MMBtu) has been established – representing a 26.5% reduction,” he added.

On the issue of the energy bond, President Akufo-Addo said that his government has reduced the debt they inherited by 50% – having raised US$2.4billion from the 7-year and 10-year cedi-denominated bonds it issued last year. He added that this has helped improve the liquidity of banks and balance sheets of state-owned enterprises in the energy sector.

Nana Addo also talked about the review of some Power Purchase Agreements previously negotiated by the erstwhile Mahama administration.

“A review of 24 power purchase agreements, which led to the termination of 11 power deals and the rescheduling of 8 others, has enabled us to save the government Treasury about US$7billion in excess capacity charges over a 13-year period,” he explained.

There are further plans to expand installed capacity, with government looking to include renewables in the energy mix to boost hydro and thermal generation.

Minister for Energy, Boakye Agyarko, last year announced moves to diversify the power mix by targetting 300MW of solar by 2020. The Bui Power Authority (BPA), in this regard, has expanded its switchyard at the Bui Generation Station (GS) to accommodate 250MW of solar-generated power.

This is in line with the energy ministry’s target of increasing renewables to about 10% of total energy mix.

President Akufo-Addo also recently announced proposals to reduce electricity tariffs by 18% (barbers), 15.7% (hairdressers and beauticians) and 9.8% (tailors) respectively.

It is however unclear how his government plans to finance such reduction, having failed to fully raise the amount required to clear the outstanding energy sector debt.

Communications Minister bemoans low participation of women in technology

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The Minister of Communications, Ursula Owusu-Akuffo, has bemoaned the lack of technological knowledge, especially among women and children.

The minister said it is unforgivable that in the 21st century the majority of Ghana’s population, made up of women and children, still struggle to take advantage of advancement in technology to improve their lives.

Mrs. Owusu-Akuffo made these comments when she met a delegation from Women in Tech Africa (WITA), as part of efforts to develop programmes that enable more young women to partake in the digital explosion happening globally.

The minister used the opportunity to call on Women in Tech Africa to join forces and collaborate with her outfit to use technology in reaching out to women and children in underprivileged communities around the country.

She also emphasised the role that technology can play in unleashing the potential of many underprivileged children, who she explained could become the next Einstein and Steve Jobs of the world. She urged the WITA team to partner with the ministry in 2018 and beyond to make this vision a reality.

On her part, Founder of Women in Tech Africa, Ethel Cofie, thanked the Minister for opening up dialogue on the myriad opportunities that technology presents to Ghanaian women and children.

Ms. Cofie noted that Women in Tech Africa, with operations in 14 African countries and in the diaspora, has the experience and capacity and is well-positioned to take up the challenge of partnering with the ministry in its quest to make Ghanaian women and children technologically literate.

Women in Tech Africa is involved in many projects, including MTN Girl Code, #Herfuture Africa and the flagship programme of the group, Women in Tech Week – which is organised in 14 African countries and in the diaspora at large.

Gov’t to revive collapsed cashew factories

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 Government has, as part of its industrialisation drive, outlined measures aimed reviving all collapsed cashew processing factories in the country.

Key among the steps is a joint effort by the Ghana Export Promotion Authority (GEPA) and the Exim Bank to offer financial support for the retooling of troubled factories to use state-of-the-art technologies to ensure efficient processing for optimum output.

There are 13 cashew processing factories in the country, with a total production capacity of about 65,000 metric tonnes. The majority of cashew factories are small-scale and situated in the Brong Ahafo Region, which is the cashew hub of Ghana.

Challenges such as lack of capital to compete for the raw nuts and use of obsolete machines have caused most of the plants to fold-up, leaving only two in operation.

In an interview with B&FT, the Deputy CEO of GEPA, Eric Twum, said government is committed to retooling all cashew companies to revive and sustain processing rather than exporting raw nuts.

“GEPA has got in touch with those factories that need support; an audit will be conducted to ascertain the exact support that each firm will require.”

The authority, he noted, has also initiated moves to support private investors to venture into processing cashew fruit.

Statistics show that last year about 250,000 metric tonnes of cashew fruit got rotten on the farms. Cashew fruit can be processed into jam, ethanol and juice, among others.

“Henceforth the cashew industry will be catered for properly by strategic interventions, not by default,” he added.

The revival of cashew processing will be the carry-through of an international protocol Ghana has signed. He explained that the protocol requires about 50% processing of cashew produced in the ECOWAS sub-Region by 2030. The Deputy GEPA boss urged exporters to show interest in the cause of processing raw nuts locally.

Other interventions targetted at development of the cashew industry include the proposed cashew export levy. Government is in the process of slapping an export levy on raw cashew nuts (RCN).

The levy is expected to discourage excessive exportation of RCN and promote local processing of the commodity. It will generate revenue into the coffers of the yet to be established Cashew Development Fund, planned to give a financial backbone to cashew development initiatives.

A mass spraying and distribution of grafted seedlings programme has also commenced. The programme covers improvement of existing cashew farms through farm clearing, spraying and pruning to set a roadmap for farms’ expansion, and establishment of new ones to boost production level.

The exercise targets about 70,000 acres every year; it is expected to increase cashew production by 30%.

Current production is pegged at 70,000mt. The commodity is one of the fast-growing cash crops in the country.

It is presently Ghana’s leading agricultural non-traditional export (NTE), fetching about US$197million in 2016, representing 53% of the total US$371million earnings from the agricultural NTE sub-sector.

New law to kick-start National ID ready—Prez Akufo-Addo

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President Akufo-Addo

A new legislative instrument (LI) to give the necessary legal backing for the full-scale implementation of the National Identification Programme is expected to be sent to Parliament for deliberation and passage.

“The National ID system has delayed. The law under which the ID system could commence turned out to be outlawed and so a new Legislative Instrument (L. I.), which is ready, will be sent to Parliament when they resume to be passed, then we can quick start the ID programme.

When the L. I. is submitted to parliament, after the 21 days it can become law and set the stage right for the ID system to take off,” President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo said.

He was speaking at a meeting with the media at the Flagstaff House, to discuss the performance of his administration after a year in office.

The President maintained that government is poised to digitize all activities of state institutions and quasi-government agencies for maximum results.

The last time the issue of why the National ID programme had not taken off in October 2017, the Vice President, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia announced that government will commence the National Identification registration exercise in November 2017 which was a month departure from an earlier announcement by the National Identification Authority (NIA), scheduling the exercise to start on September 15, 2017.

Dr. Bawumia at the time during the launch of a training programme for National Service Personnel into the National Communications Authority (NCA) also explained that the change in date is due to a decision to first complete the National Addressing System, which is critical input in gathering of data for the National ID exercise.

“By November God willing, the next bit of digitization will be the National ID Card. That is very critical, and we are hoping to try the addressing thing launched before the National ID, so that when you come to register for the National ID, we will have your address which will be inserted in there.

The NIA, after issuing its first card, christened Ghana card to the President in September 2017, explained that, the exercise will start with the security agencies, schools, banks and the inhabitants of the Greater Accra Region.

The Central, Western and Brong Ahafo regions, based on the National Identification Authority’s (NIA) plan, will be the first few regions to be covered.

According to the NIA, Ghanaians resident abroad will not be left out of the registration process as the opportunity will be given to them to register for the card at a fee wherever they are.

The new identification system was an outcome of a private public partnership with the Margins Group which has been tasked to print the new ID cards, which is said to be the most secured Identification card with about 14 international security features with a multi-purpose function.

Another new feature of the card is the passport and ECOWAS logos on it, which allow it to be used in place of a passport across ECOWAS member countries.

The new ID card is expected to have a lifespan of 10 years after which it will be renewable at a fee to be determined by the Authority.

We are on track – Akufo-Addo

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Nana Akufo-Addo

President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has stated that the macroeconomic strides made over the past twelve months indicate his government is very much on course to turn around the fortunes of a distressed economy inherited from the Mahama administration.

Addressing the press in Accra on Wednesday, the president lauded work done by the Economic Management team led-by Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia for stabilising the economy while ensuring that growth is not compromised.

According to him, having taken over an economy with weak macroeconomic fundamentals, his government had to find innovative ways of doing things to ensure they got positive results.

“Our macroeconomic indicators have seen tremendous results through improved monetary and fiscal discipline. Real GDP growth has rebounded, recording a 9.3 percent growth in the third quarter of 2017 against the figure of 3.5 percent for the same period in 2016.

“Inflation recorded for December last year was 11.8 percent as against 15.6 percent in the same period of 2016,” the President said

The debt situation, Nana Akufo-Addo said, has improved – with the annual average debt accumulation rate of 36% in recent years declining to about 13.6%, as at September 2017.

“As a result, the public debt stock as a ratio of GDP is 68.3%, against the annual target of 71% for 2017, and end 2016 actual figure of 73.1%,” the President added.

 

Pensions, arrears et al

President Akufo-Addo said the improvement in macroeconomic fundamentals has led to government being able to transfer some GH¢3.1billion of Tier 2 pension funds into the custodial accounts of the pension schemes of labour unions.

Those funds, he said, have been outstanding for six years, and about which the labour unions had been loudly complaining.

He also revealed that his government is working hard to clear debt owed to road contractors.

“In 2017, nearly GH¢1billion (GOG – GH¢300.4million; Road Fund- GH¢664 million) of the GH¢1.6 billion owed to road contractors was cleared. In January this year, we have disbursed GH¢125million out of the remainder of GH¢600million to the contractors.

Additionally, the President stated, government has paid GH¢826million of the GH¢1.2billion loan contracted by the previous administration, for which the Road Fund was used as collateral.

“It is important to note that all these debts were accrued under the previous administration. I will also point out that much of the statutory arrears that we met have been cleared; that is, debts to the NHIS, the District Assembly Common Fund, and the GETFund,” he stated.

Government, he said, has put in place a regime which is to pay government bills as they come due, and not accrue arrears.

“We are resisting the temptation to award contracts when funds are not available to pay for the certificates as they come up. Those who conduct business with government will find that things are being done differently.

“We have had to subject GH¢11billion of arrears, bequeathed to us in 2017, to a process of audit review and validation. The audit service has certified payments to the tune of GH¢5.5billion, and rejected about GH¢5.7billion cedis – representing a potential savings of 51% on these outstanding commitments,” the President concluded.

On shithole nations, fetish priests and river gods…

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Esther A. Armah

Universal global outrage. Condemnation, anger, a call to action was the response to America’s 45th President’s verbal assault on African nations. Are we more moved to respond when powerful, white men insult African nations than we are by our African leaders’ daily insults and offensives within those same nations? Does such outrage reveal more about colonialism’s legacy that privileges what white men are saying about Africa, than what African leaders are doing in Africa to African people?

Can this be a moment to re-evaluate such outrage and turn it laser like within in order to make the kinds of changes that would improve our society?

Ghana’s President Nana Akufo-Addo tweeted back in what can be called a ‘presidential clap back’ to President Trump. He rejected the comment, defended his nation and rightly reminded the US that such an insult would not be tolerated no matter how powerful the nation.

Our president’s comments were just one of multiple responses. Cable television news featured  commentators, journalists, anchors all of whom weighed in. Think pieces were written and published in multiple publications. One correspondent researched and revealed statistics that highlight the powerhouses from African nations who are excelling in America. I saw a hash tag on Twitter – #AfricaIsBeautiful – with people posting images of the beauty within Africa.

America’s 45th president’s comment offers a crucial opportunity to teach some important American history. We should remind America, its Trump supporters and voters that our so-called ‘shithole nations’ built your wealth and your economy; you are a superpower specifically because your nation perpetrated brutality and injustice. We should remind America’s 45th president that enslaved Africans taken from shithole nations laboured and built the White House – the very place from which you issue 140 character insults.

I do not suggest we do not respond. We must. I invite us to evaluate the comparative ways we respond to this versus a major issue in Ghana – sexual violence.

What should ignite equal outrage and require equal focus and response is the horrific treatment too many girls and women are subject to in these African nations.

Let me be more specific. I live in Ghana – a beautiful nation with actual shitholes due to the preponderance of public defecation. That is another article on sanitation for another day…….

Can we leverage our outrage in response to the ways in which sexual violence flourishes in our African nations? Can we be equally exercised in our calls for action when stories are reported that discriminate against girls in our nations?

Let me be more specific.

Headlines reporting menstruating girls in the Central Region are banned from crossing a river that gets them to school due to instruction from that regions’ river god, should also ignite outrage. Using culture as a weapon to police girls’ bodies, discriminate against their access to education and threaten their future is an outrage – one that fails to ignite universal condemnation and a specific call to action. It is a headline about which some will pass comment, and the day will continue unabated and uninterrupted.

Another headline reported a fetish priest who beat and then poured acid into a 12 year old girl’s vagina in order to exorcise evil spirits from her body. She was brought to him by her father; he had accused her of being a witch and blamed her for his financial issues.  The fetish priest penetrated her vagina using a stick and in the hospital, medical staff say her vagina is burnt and there is internal injury whose extent is yet to be assessed. This is sexual assault, rape and abuse in the name of culture. The story further reported this  father had been selling his two daughters –  to men to have sex with and pocketing the money.  He has been arrested. There is a manhunt for the fetish priest. The father is a pimp and the fetish priest is a rapist and an abuser. All this in the name of ‘culture’ and ‘tradition’.

Does such a story stop this nation in its tracks and ignite global outrage?

Essentially, these stories   and a nation’s response – or lack of it – are markers of  a greater malaise.

We deal with such stories of sexual violence, rape and sexual assault as individual incidents, where individual families or victims struggle for justice. We are momentarily outraged by them. We are horrified by the latest statistics that continue to reveal the number of teachers sexually assaulting and then impregnating their students. We rightly critique Ministries, politicians for their inaction.

It is an ongoing cycle of sameness.

Each of these is engaged as separate, single struggles. They are not. They are inter-connected issues that require wide-ranging strategy turned funded action.

Sexual violence is not considered, treated or funded like the national crisis it is. Domestic Violence and Victim Support Unit (DOVVSU) is the national strategy to deal with sexual violence, however there are only 110 DOVVSU offices in the entire country of Ghana. Statistics from Brong Ahafo, Central and Western Region revealing disturbing numbers of young girls being made pregnant by teachers continue to spiral up – there is a mismatch between the scale of the issue and the focus on the resolution strategies. That disparity continues to grow.

My call is for sexual violence, rape and defilement to be considered as a national crisis requiring flagship policy.  Detailed, accurate data collection is required in order to paint the most accurate picture of headlines that are snapshots of horror.

Sexual violence is a question of security – or for the vulnerable – the lack of security.  And nation building requires a security focus.

A President’s insult should not merit more movement than the heinous actions of fetish priests or river gods when it comes to the focus and future of girls and women in Ghana.

Let’s train our outrage in shaping strategy, policy and action to eliminate sexual violence.

Let’s turn our action inwards, with a laser-like focus on transforming our societies – that is our work.

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