John Kerry calls on other countries to do more to stop ebola

I am sharing with you an op-ed by US Secretary of State, John Kerry on the ebola crisis that has hit the world.

A few rich nations are now providing most of the money and doing most of the work. That has to change immediately.

President Obama has made it crystal clear that Ebola is an urgent global crisis that demands an urgent global response. The United States has intensified every aspect of our engagement, and that includes providing Ebola treatment units, recruiting first responders, and supplying a critical set of medical equipment. The administration is working as a team to make sure that we bring all our resources to this effort; for my part, I am working extremely closely with Rajiv Shah, the USAID director, Deputy Secretary of State Heather Higginbottom and our Ebola Coordinator Ambassador Nancy Powell.

But I want to expand that effort with an urgent plea to countries around the world to step up even further. While we are making progress, we are not where we need to be. There are additional needs that have to be met in order for the global community to respond effectively to this challenge — and to make sure that we protect people in all of our countries.

Those needs are described in these slides. They show the very real need for more countries to move resources of specific kinds. It is not just a question of sending people, though it is vital to send people. But we need Ebola treatment units. We need health-care workers. We need medevac capacity. We need mobile laboratories and staff.

We also need nonmedical support: telecommunications, generators, incinerators, public communications capacity, training, construction. There is a desperate requirement for major assistance to strengthen health systems of stricken countries, for cash to support them in this critical time and for transportation to get equipment to the right people and places.

All of these things are frankly urgent if we are going to move quickly to contain the spread of Ebola. We need airlines to continue to operate in West Africa and we need borders to remain open. We need other African countries with the capacity to send responders to join the effort. And we need to make sure that the brave health-care workers who go are properly trained, properly equipped  and supported to prevent additional infections.

Many countries are already contributing, but the scale of needs is dramatic. The United States has contributed $113 million to the United Nations response. Smaller countries have stepped up to the plate – some quite remarkably. Some smaller countries are contributing way above their per capita population.

But the fact is more countries can and must step up to make their contributions felt, and the charts tell the story. There are not enough countries to make the difference to be able to deal with this crisis. We need more nations – every nation has an ability to do something on this challenge.

As the charts show, we already have a shortfall still of some $300 million. The United Nations has identified $1 billion in urgent needs, reflected in the pie chart. The World Bank has put in 22 percent. The U.S.A. has put in 11 percent. Private sector, 10 percent. More is needed – you can see the tally.

Providing this money is a critical component of our ability to be able to meet this challenge, and we need people to step up now. Now is the time for action, not words. And frankly, there is not a moment to waste in this effort.

As Obama pledges $7b for energy in Africa, where is the $63b pledge for health care?

President Barack Obama

By Emmanuel K. Dogbevi

President, Barack Obama is in Africa for the second time since becoming President of the United States of America and he is pledging funds to help the continent. This time, he is pledging $7 billion to deal with the energy crisis in sub-Sahara Africa.

"More than two-thirds of the population of sub-Saharan Africa is without electricity, and more than 85% of those living in rural areas lack access," a statement from the White House has said.

Sub-Saharan Africa will need more than $300 billion to achieve universal electricity access by 2030, the statement added.

This was how the CNN captured the pledge in its reportage: “US President Barack Obama pledged $7 billion Sunday to help combat frequent power blackouts in sub-Saharan Africa.”

Funds from the initiative, dubbed ‘Power Africa’, will be distributed over the next five years, it said.

Most countries in sub-Sahara Africa have huge power deficits leading to constant power outages. These outages are affecting lifestyles and industries. Businesses are losing millions of dollars in revenue and investments as a result.

President Obama is no doubt a charismatic leader. He seems passionate about making a positive impact on the world, but is he getting as much as he wants done? Would this new $7 billion pledge materialize?

These questions are necessary because when Obama first came to Ghana in 2009, he made a financial pledge to fix Africa’s broken health care sector, with particular emphasis on public health. He made a pledge of a whopping $63 billion.

Making his policy speech on Africa in Ghana’s Parliament in Accra Saturday July 11, 2009, he said even though enormous progress has been made on the continent in health care and many more people with HIV/AIDS still live productive lives and are getting the drugs they need, “too many still die from diseases that shouldn’t kill them, when children are being killed because of mosquito bites and mothers are dying in child birth, then we know that more progress must be made."

If that pledge has been fulfilled, it would be worthwhile to know how much of that has been disbursed. It would also be useful to examine what benchmarks were set to attain the goals for which the amount was pledged and if it was ever given, to look out for what has been achieved so far after nearly three years.

It is one thing to pledge, and it is another thing to deliver on the pledge. Before another celebration is
organized for this new initiative, looking at the very critical situation of Africa's energy challenges, and in the  light of the truth, there should be compelling reasons to seek to know what happened with the $63 billion pledge to support the health care sector in Africa.

The Melcom tragedy and Ghana's democracy facade

Yesterday, Wednesday November 7, 2012, the world woke up to another victory for Barack Obama to remain President of the United States for another four years. Ghanaians were caught up in the euphoria too.

The US Embassy in Accra organised an Election Breakfast that started at 5:00am local time to mark the elections.

The previous night, the Institute of Economic Affairs, (IEA) organised a debate for the Vice-Presidential candidates competing in Ghana's December elections. I didn't watch it. I knew it would be boring from the first few pictures I saw on local TV stations, so I switched off and watched something more useful elsewhere.

But as the country vacillated between the euphoria of an Obama victory in far away America and cynicism and sycophancy over the hard to swallow vice-presidential debate at home, tragedy struck in the morning hours of the day. News began filtering in about the collapse of Melcom. Initially, some people thought the chain of department store business itself had folded up. But as pictures began to be posted on social media networks and radio and TV stations began to carry the news, reality hit in. The building itself, a six-story building had collapsed with an estimated 52 people already inside - both employees and shoppers.

The President, John Dramani  Mahama, on a campaign tour in the north of the country expressed sympathy for the victims on Twitter - he eventually cut short his campaign tour to visit the accident site. Opposition figures, determined not to be beaten by the President, also trooped to the accident scene.

This grim reality was bound to happen. Because it is no secret that we take so much for granted in this country. We are susceptible to bending rules at the slightest hint to satisfy our whims, for financial gain or merely for political reasons. If you can afford to pay, you can get anything done in this country, forget the laws and regulations!

I remember that in the early days of John Kufuor as president, he changed a 1974 Law to allow the importation of right-hand drive vehicles into this country. The law as it turned out, was repealed just to satisfy one person and to make the Kufuor government look like it was fulfilling its campaign promise to improve public transport.

At that time, one man had imported right-hand drive double-decker buses into the country, but couldn't use them because of the law prohibiting the use of such vehicles. When the law was repealed the buses already in poor condition flooded our streets offering some 'relief' in our beleaguered and chaotic public transport system. As it turned out, the buses couldn't stand the wear and tear of the public transport system and were all parked after a short while and we returned to square one - where we were with public transport before the buses. A clear example of how short sighted, self aggrandizing decisions are taken to score political points.

Despite the repeal of the law, right-hand vehicles have not become popular with Ghanaians.

Martin Amidu, the former Attorney-General and Minister of Justice has been fighting the system to get the government to prosecute some individuals and companies and retrieve huge amounts of public money that have been paid in questionable judgement debts under suspicious circumstances. The state always claims there is no money to provide services for citizens, but finds the money to pay questionable judgement debts and very high salaries for the Executive and Legislature.

Have we taken our democracy too far? Ghana is reputed all over the world for organising peaceful elections and for having orderly transitions of power. But it appears the democratic credentials are not translating into strong systems that work for the good of all. Our society is becoming ever chaotic and self-destructive. Our democracy is a facade, I am beginning to believe.

In the name of free speech, citizens, including people in positions of trust defame and libel others. State institutions in trying to present themselves as 'humane' fail to enforce bye laws and regulations. So many people want benefits they do not earn. Most people demanding to exercise rights without responsibility is becoming a norm!

Particularly, land and building issues have been a thorn in the flesh of Ghanaians for a long time now. Buildings rise up everyday in the country without permits. It is easier to do whatever pleases one, if the person is an active member of a ruling party or is well connected - the only thing one cannot do in Ghana is to turn a man into a woman. 'Prominent' members of political parties can get whatever they want including breaking clearly set rules and regulations. News abound of ruling party members attacking and physically assaulting members or suspected members of opposition parties. These suspects go free because, they believe they were acting in the interest of the party and it appears the party would not touch its own.

Our parliamentarians have become literally ineffective whenever it matters most, except in matters that directly benefit them. They are quick to pass into law bills that would favour the party in power, while bills such as the Right to Information bill is still lingering in a form that actually endangers right to information decades after the constitution which calls for its enactment into law has been in existence.

Indeed, it appears the practice of democracy in Ghana means lawlessness. The state has been rendered helpless and dysfunctional because governments in power are afraid to enforce laws. They fear to lose elections. For those in power therefore, wielding power for their own sake is more important than running the country for the good of all.

The collapse of the Melcom building and the unnecessary deaths and injuries would only shock our collective consciences momentarily - after the dead are buried and the injured are healed, unfortunately, some might end up with some forms of permanent physical disabilities, we will return to business as usual. No one would be punished, probably, the family of the dead (may their souls rest in peace) and injured might not get compensation, and we shall return to business as usual.

We are more democratic than the Greeks and so we won't enforce our laws and regulations. The political class wants to please everyone else so they will be voted back into power, where they can continue to pay themselves hefty salaries and enjoy privileges ordinary mortals do not deserve.

We can't survive for a long time as a country, if we continue to ignore the role of discipline and law enforcement in building a progressive society - we shall atrophy.

After Obama's Ghana visit, would American investors come?

By Emmanuel K. Dogbevi

President Barack Obama left Ghana Saturday night July 11, 2009, but the ripples of his visit still reverberate throughout the country and indeed the entire world. But one question that lingers on our minds at ghanabusinessnews.com is: would the historic visit serve as an encouragement to American investors to come to Ghana?

Available data shows that US businesses are not investing as much as they should generally in Africa and in Ghana in particular. A study that was published on May 20, 2009 by the US Chamber of Commerce says American businesses are not encouraged to invest in Africa for reasons among which are corruption, lawlessness, unstable governments and inadequate infrastructure.

Indeed, in President Obama’s speech to Ghana’s Parliament Saturday July 11, 2009, he specifically touched on the issues of corruption as a bane to development not only in Ghana, but the entire continent. He said: “Repression takes many forms, and too many nations are plagued by problems that condemn their people to poverty. No country is going to create wealth if its leaders exploit the economy to enrich themselves, or police can be bought off by drug traffickers.”

Adding, “no business wants to invest in a place where the government skims 20 percent off the top, or the head of the port authority is corrupt. No person wants to live in a society where the rule of law gives way to the rule of brutality and bribery. That is not democracy, that is tyranny, and now is the time for it to end.”

As a matter of fact, several studies conducted in Ghana by anti-corruption institutions over the years show the police as corrupt. The political institution has also been cited in surveys as being corrupt. Political corruption in Ghana has even been nicknamed “kickbacks”.

Another study published by the Bank of Ghana on foreign direct equity investments in Ghana also shows that Europe and not America is the leading investor in the country.

The highlights of the survey, shows Europe as making the highest foreign direct equity investments (FDEI) to Ghana representing 60.7%., while investments from the African continent consist of 38.0%.

America places fifth among the top ten investor nations in Ghana. According to the report, the top ten sources of FDEI inflows in 2007 were Mauritius, 27.9%; France 19.4%; British Virgin Islands 18.4%); United Kingdom 16.9%; United States 5.9%; Togo 3.4%; Norway 3.3%; Israel 3.2%; Nigeria 2.1%, and Switzerland 1.9%.

The US Chamber of Commerce study is titled ‘The conversation behind closed doors: Inside the Boardroom: How Corporate America Really views Africa’.

The Chamber is also the world’s largest business federation with a membership of more than three million businesses and organizations of every size, sector and region as well as 112 affiliates in 99 countries around the world, making the Chamber a crucial source of investment in any country.

Despite the enthusiasm and hope that heralded the institution of the African Growth and Opportunities Act (AGOA) on May 18, 2000 to offer “tangible incentives” for African countries to open their economies and build free markets, not many American businesses as expected are doing business in Ghana.

To the extent that reports indicate that Ghana’s exports to the US under the AGOA fell in 2008 and continued to fall into the first quarter of 2009.

Ghana’s total exports under AGOA to the US market stood at US$42.2 million in 2008, a 38.4 percent decline from the US$68.6 million recorded in 2007.

From January to March this year, the country’s total value exported under the scheme was US$2.5 million, representing a momentous 86 percent decline over the US$18.1 million recorded in the first quarter of 2008.

The US Chamber of Commerce cited some of the following reasons for not investing in Africa; the image of lawlessness, corruption, unstable governments, an inadequate infrastructure, uneducated or untrained people, and an unwelcoming government attitude toward business.

Hopefully, President Obama’s visit to Ghana, which he clearly said was his endorsement of the country’s democratic culture and stability, would change the perception and spur some more US businesses to enter Ghana and invest.

These businesses would be joining other major US investors like Coca-Cola, Newmont Mining, Lehman Brothers, CMS Energy and Cargill.

American investors can look at the following areas; aerospace/defense, agribusiness, consumer goods, health care and information and communications technology.

The others could be infrastructure, media, petrochemical/extractive, pharmaceutical and transportation.