Ghana to become a middle income country .... vision far too remote???

The failure of governments since 1966 to develop and implement a coherent supply chain and logistics strategy in support of the country’s gateway initiative continues to be a major impediment towards Ghana’s goals of becoming a middle income country.

Abundance of resources yet still relatively socio-economically poor!

Ghana is one of the few countries in the world to be endowed with much needed resources that can easily serve as a catalyst for major long term socio-economic growth. …..Gold, Cocoa, Industrial diamonds bauxite, manganese and now oil! ……In addition the country is blessed with one of the most fertile agro soils in the world….Yet the country’s unemployment rate among the 18-35 years has remained among the highest in the world since 1970. In tandem with this, the country’s infrastructure is among the least developed in the world.

Having benchmarked the country’s development and economic growth with other developed and emerging economies one realized that the relative underdevelopment is mainly due to amongst others our inability to use simple supply chain principles to harness the enormous wealth at the country’s disposal.

Since the late nineties one has had the opportunity to have both formal and informal discussions with our politicians and decision makers. In most cases they are proud to pontificate about countries like Singapore Malaysia, USA, Chain India and even more recently South Africa….and how they are able to add value to imported commodities, plus move goods from various points of production to points of need within and outside their respective countries. Yet when it comes to Ghana it seems they are content to export the country’s raw materials to other countries for processing and then import it back at premium to sell locally in the regional market!

Supply chain management and Ghana’s Gateway Initiative

Ghana’s gateway initiative in theory is a resplendent model if supported by the right modus operandi. Successive governments have pontificated about the status of the country as the potential gateway into the sub region. Yet when one looks at the policies of government to date, no where has one seen any concrete long term plans to harness the potential vantage position of Ghana as a sub regional country. As a country that is supposedly the gateway into the sub region aero logistics connections is not only poor but among the most expensive in the world!!

What puzzles ordinary citizens like myself is why our leaders continue to accept that value added to our resources can only take place outside Ghana……..!!! The time has come for our leaders to rather look at Ghana as a sub regional workshop where companies with interest in marketing their products to 250 million regional inhabitants will use the country as it decoupling point.

Could Ghana have benefited more from Cocoa with a coherent supply chain strategy?

Like most economies, Ghana could have easily used cocoa to sustainably transform the economy if there was a strategic supply chain blue print. More recently one has been hearing about Cocoa Board ambitions to produce 1 million tons per annum. What difference will it make to graduate students looking for a job if most of the beans are going to end up in Europe where value adding will take place?”

Would Ghana benefit from the OIL?

There seem to be a propensity for our leaders to pontificate that the recently discovered oil is the panacea for all Ghana’s economic woes. The sad reality is that jobs are not created from the crude oil. Rather it is from the supply chain services that are associated with crude oil….!

Govt must have a supply chain and beneficiation strategy for each of Ghana’s major commodities

Through out history countries that depend on the exportation of raw commodities have relatively failed to achieve major long term socio-economic growth. The shortism in economic policies coupled with governments’ lack of strategic thought vis-à-vis supply chain management and local beneficiation continue to be an impediment for socio- economic growth. The time has come for our elected leaders to be more strategic and start thinking about:

1. How Ghana can use supply chain management as a weapon for competitive advantage

2. Positioning Ghana as sub regional workshop and decoupling point

3. Branding Ghana as a source of quality products, i.e. proudly Ghanaian,

4. Empower Ghanaians through supply chain related services

5. Creating real and much needed jobs through local beneficiation of minerals and agro commodities

6. Laying a solid socio-economic foundation for future generations

7. Thinking seriously about harnessing the potential of the gateway initiative…..

In so doing we will be laying a solid foundation for future generations. After all, Ghana’s resources do not belong to the current generation……Rather we are just custodians (irrespective of local tribe or party affiliation) collectively tasked to harness these resources to build a better and sustainable socio-economic future for the next generation!

Dr. Douglas Boateng is the Founder, President and CEO of PanAvest International a 5^PSCM niche business advisory, education, training, coaching and mentoring company. Dr Boateng’s goal is to assist companies to profitably extend their market reach through the application of long term innovative, Business Development Logistics and Supply Chain Management solutions. Dr Boateng is a FELLOW of the (a) Institute of Directors-UK & Southern Africa (b) Chartered Management Institute -UK (c) Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport-UK and the (d) Institute of Operations Management-UK

Credit: Dr. Douglas Boateng

e.tv Ghana available on Sky TV

e.tv Ghana, the latest free-to-air television channel, with very exciting and scintillating programming has entered into a broadcasting agreement with Sky television network, a pay-television provider in Ghana.

This agreement adds e.tv Ghana to the Sky TV bouquet. This means that viewers outside Accra with a Sky TV set-up box will be able to enjoy e.tv Ghana in the comfort of their homes.

CEO Akwasi Agyeman says “we are very happy to be involved in this venture with Sky TV. e.tv Ghana stands for quality and true entertainment. We believe Sky TV channel is a good partner who also does not compromise on quality. Together with Sky TV, we hope to reach every home in Ghana with all the stimulating programmes on the e.tv Ghana menu”.

“We’ve had a lot of complains ever since etv was taken off our bouquet. This new development with e.tv Ghana will be of great joy to our numerous viewers across Ghana. They have been spoilt with e.tv’s quality programming and cannot accept anything less” says Mr. Wilson Arthur, CEO of Sky Digital TV.

e.tv Ghana, your world of quality TV

e.tv Ghana now available on your TV Screens

Without any fanfares, bells or whistles, e.tv Ghana, the newest television station in Ghana quietly hit the airwaves with a sneak preview of the programming viewers can expect to see during the final test transmissions.

Says Mr Akwasi Agyeman, CEO: “We had to check the quality of the programming lined-up for broadcast and in the process those viewers who are already tuned to e.tv Ghana, got a sneak preview of some of our programmes that we have been running.”

Viewers who still are not tuned to e.tv Ghana, here are the quick and easy steps to follow.

Tuning in to e.tv Ghana – quick and easy
Test transmissions for the free-to-air commercial channel e.tv Ghana is now available on your television sets.

How to tune in to e.tv Ghana – 4 easy steps
1. Select the channel on your remote where you would like e.tv Ghana to be

2. Press Menu and go to “Set-up”
3. Select “Manual Search” on the UHF band and scan
4. Keep scanning till you reach frequency 687.25 MHZ. e.tv Ghana is Channel 48.

This however does not mean the channel number for e.tv Ghana displayed on your screen must be 48. It could be different.

The management of e.tv Ghana would also like to appeal to viewers to bear with us if there are any breaks in transmission during the test transmission period. This is to enable our technical team to resolve any minor adjustments that still need to be done to ensure a perfect picture when we officially go on air on 1 October 2009.

Any queries or feedback may be addressed to: Ms. Brooke Nuwati: bnuwati@gmaworld.com

e.tv Ghana, your world of quality TV

Silverbird Rewards Theatre Goers

Silverbird Cinemas, the number one movie theater complex in Ghana has honoured its promises of granting an opportunity to a lucky theatre goer to go see where the blockbuster Harry Potter 6 (Harry Potter and the Half-blood Prince) was made.

The promotion, which started a few weeks ago when the movie was released, attracted thousands of movie lovers to the Silverbird cinemas. This resulted in Silverbird cinemas topping all cinema rankings across East and West Africa including Nairobi and Lagos.

“The movie pulled a lot of people to the cinema. We were amazed at the huge turn-out which was also an indication that Ghanaians like quality and would always come to the cinemas to see a good movie. We are very delighted and for that matter would want to encourage more and more people to come and see movies on our gigantic screens in our world-class beautiful theatres” says Mr. Albert Mensah, MD of Silverbird Ghana.

The winner of the draw, fifteen year old girl, Darley Ofosu Dorte has the singular opportunity to travel to Chicago, USA with an adult partner to visit the site where the Harry Potter movie was shot and also an opportunity to see President Barack Obama’s hometown.

“I am very happy to be the lucky winner. I can’t believe I’m going to Chicago and more especially to the Harry Potter movie set. Maybe I’ll go with my mum or daddy” says young elated Darley who has just completed Corpus Christi Catholic School (JHS) in Sakumono, Accra. Darley leaves to Chicago with one of her parents on Monday, September 21, 2009.

This draw is in line with Silverbird’s commitment to rewarding loyal customers and also to serve as an incentive for customers to return to watch latest blockbuster movies at their plush cinemas.

Silverbird Entertainment Ghana Limited is a joint venture between the Silverbird Group, a full service media entertainment and real estate Company with holdings in radio, television, retail malls and cinemas and Global media Alliance an integrated pan African media and entertainment company with offices in South Africa and Kenya and affiliate offices in Nigeria and the UK. Silverbird with its wide and excellent product offering offers premium advertising opportunities such as branding of popcorn cups and fliers, and on-screen advertising where advertisers are able to capture their audiences in a relaxed and receptive mood as they sit glued to their seats for their movies.

Tales from my grandmother .... 3

Enyeeee yi, Enyeeee yi le nyornu velia gormeeeee!!!

Wofor kpewo fom dokpui, wofor yio fom dokpui,

Enyeeee yi, Enyeeee yi le nyornu velia gormeeeee

(Hahahahaha …. this is certainly a tongue twister to many of you, especially you non-Anlo speaking folks. Don’t worry, because as I keep telling you, it’s a singular opportunity for you to learn some interesting words and expressions in Anlo, the uniquely heavy Ewe dialect)

The story is told of two women who were married to the same man and stayed in the same compound with their children. Ablavi, the first wife and Ayador, the second and childless wife had to deal with the daily issues that came with being married to the same man. Yes, they were rivals. (I wonder why we call two or more women married to the same man, ‘rivals’).

Well, by the virtue of what they were called, it was not surprising the heated rivalry that ensued between the two women. They would quarrel, fight and refuse to talk to each other for days. Often times, the lucky, perhaps unlucky man looked on while his wives went on with their little farrago. He would only intervene when things seemed to be getting out of hand, for instance when one woman threatened to injure the other or when the harm was already done.

The second and younger wife, Ayador in particular was very quarrelsome and bitter. As much as Ablavi tried to make peace with her, Ayador only pushed her farther away with insults.

“You evil, haggard looking woman, to hell with you. Who do you think you are for me to be willing to resolve issues with you? You only continue to grow older and more ugly every minute, you and your miserable children.” Ayador would say, any time Ablavi tried to resolve any issues with her.

Little did Ayador know that, as the faithful hands of the clock kept ticking, second by second, so her days went by with her dazzling beauty fading away also. She thought she would always remain young and fresh.

One day though, they went to the farm together – husband, wives and children to cultivate some maize on a piece of land that they have tilled together, virtually without Ayador …. She often complained of or feigned one sickness or the other that kept her away from working together with the others on the farm. Lazy she! Being the more sober and wiser woman, Ablavi never complained of Ayador’s endless excuses that exempted her from working on the farm. She would rather work her lungs out than picking a fight with Ayador.

Unknown to the rest of the family, anytime Ayador complained of one ailment or the other which sometimes enabled her to be given some time to be alone, relaxing while the others worked, Ayador always sneaked to steal the food that the family brought with them to the farm. She would eat everything or throw away whatever she couldn’t finish, just to make the rest of the family, especially her rival and her children suffer from hunger. The family often went through the trauma of discovering that their food was gone. You can imagine the ordeal and frustration when they came to empty bowls and plates after retiring from a hard day’s work under a hot scotching sun. They often attributed the misfortune to a strange wicked animal that came for their food while they worked.

Ayador, on the other hand, while the others, including her husband agonized about their loss and hunger, was filled with joy. She was satisfied that the others were suffering because of her greed and selfishness. She said to her herself …. Efiawo! Efiawo! Efiawo! (A sarcastic expression that means …. You’ve learned your lesson/You deserve it!) This, she said with such emphasis, her forehead was wildly knitted and pleated if you saw her say it!

This happened on a number of occasions when the family retired to empty bowls staring hard back at them. The poor folks even attributed the issue to an evil spirit who came for their food because they took a number of measures that they believed could keep their food safe when they retired to eat. But Ayador also intensified and improved her schemes to get the food.

On one other occasion, Ayador, just after a few minutes work on the farm, as usual, came up with another excuse to allow her do what she enjoyed doing most ….. causing pain and frustration to the rest of the family, especially Ablavi.

“I feel very horrible in my stomach. I think I must visit the toilet” Ayador announced to the others (any open space in the bushes a little away from the others, did for a toilet). So she went into the bushes, sneaked to where the food was securely kept from the “evil spirit”. After helping herself with all the food, she decided to go a step further in her little adventure.

After her meals, she squatted on the pot, eased herself so hard to produce the most beautiful laying concrete that one has ever seen. Then she attempted to get up with the intention of covering her newly prepared dish for the family. She tried and tried to get the pot off her butts, but the pot would not move. She hit the pot with anything that she could lay her hands on with all her strength and might. But the pot wouldn’t move. Today, her cup was really fool and perhaps the pot decided to tell Ayador, “efiawo ha” (You’ve learned your lessons too). Reading the time, she knew her husband and rival would soon be out to eat their food and start looking for her. She hurried to a nearby bush to hide.

Consequently, the family returned and once again saw that their food was gone but this time with the pot as well. They started calling out for Ayador to ask her if she knew what had happened to the food and the pot. She held her breath from her hide-out to prevent the rest from seeing her. Then, all of a sudden, a song was heard from a distance ……

Enyeeee yi, Enyeeee yi , Enyeeee yi le nyornu velia gormeeeee!!!

Efor kpewo fom dokpui, wofor yio fom dokpui, Enyeeee yi, Enyeeee yi le nyornu velia gormeeeee (I wish you could hear me sing it they way grandma did ….so terrifying!)

That was the mystery pot tightly clung to Ayador’s butts, telling the folks that she was under Ayador’s buttocks. With a loud cry, the pot went on to explain that Ayador, had tried to get her off, but she wouldn’t. They couldn’t believe it. A pot singing?!

Ayador was eventually caught and it had to take a hot burning metal to take the pot off her buttocks. With much pain and embarrassment, she confessed to the family how she often sneaked out to steal their food, just to punish them and make them suffer. She asked for Ablavi’s forgiveness and promised never to be wicked and greedy again.

This tale, any time I remember it, still sends shivers down my spine. I remember how I coiled around my grandma as she told us this tale under the moonlit in our compound. For days, I couldn’t go alone to our electricity-less room when I was sent in the night. I was scared of lifeless objects singing to me in the dark. I was scared because of the little, little evil that I knew I was guilty of. This tale has made me a kinder person. It has taught me never to treat people with wickedness and malice.

Grandma, I’ll never forget this tale. I miss the moonlit and the stars that we tried to count. We never succeeded because they were so many. Maybe, the tales you told me and the lessons are equally countless!

I leave you to deduce your own lessons from this tale.

Enyeeeeee yi ……….