The call by President Akufo-Addo on the ECOWAS Community Court of Justice to change its procedures to ensure that parties that seek redress at that forum exhaust all local remedies prior to invoking the jurisdiction of the court is one of the trending stories in the Ghanaian press on Tuesday.
The Graphic reports that President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has asked the ECOWAS Community Court of Justice (CCJ) to change its procedures to ensure that parties that seek redress at that forum exhaust all local remedies prior to invoking the jurisdiction of the court.
That, he explained, would prevent potential conflicts between member states and the court, allow for the systematic development of its authority and also enable member states to enforce its judgments.
President Akufo-Addo made the call in Accra yesterday when he opened the ECOWAS Community Court of Justice sittings taking place within the Law Court Complex.
It is the first time the court is sitting in Ghana. The five-member court will sit and adjudicate on matters for two weeks.
The external court session will be held at the Law Court Complex, Accra, with the five Justices of the CCJ hearing 60 cases, one pertaining to Ghana and 25 due for judgments.
It is in compliance with Article 26 (2) of the ECOWAS Protocol establishing the CCJ, which permits the court to hear cases in any territory of ECOWAS member states “where circumstances or facts of the case so demand”.
President Akufo-Addo cited the example of other international courts, such as the African Court on Human and People’s Rights, where applicants must demonstrate that all local remedies had been exhausted or obviously unduly prolonged before the application would be admitted.
The newspaper says that former President John Dramani Mahama says Ghanaians are suffering economic hardships because of what he describes as “general incompetence and corruption” in the Akufo-Addo-led government.
For him, the incumbent President Akufo-Addo and his government has failed to demonstrate competence in the delivery of his promises to the Ghanaian electorate.
He said whereas President Akufo-Addo promised to turn the country’s economy into that of a prosperous nations, he has rather worsened the economic situation in the country due to the general incompetence in his government.
Former President Mahama made the remarks when he launched the TEIN app at the University of Professional Studies, Accra (UPSA) on Monday afternoon, March 21, 2022.
He is of the view that general incompetence, corruption and mismanagement have combined to make life unbearable for Ghanaians, particularly the youth under the Akufo-Addo-led government.
For him, no group is harder hit by the general hardship in the country than the young people, adding that “the issues that affect the youth of Ghana who dominate our population are many.”
Mr Mahama added that the youth have been worse off than any other demographic group in the country under the leadership of President Akufo-Addo.
He said right from Senior High School to the tertiary level, students are all suffering the economic and social distress created by the bad leadership of President Akufo-Addo.
The former President said non-release of funds, poor management of curricular, erratic school calendars, and poor relationship with teachers and lecturers among others, has created turbulent conditions that are far from what is needed to ensure quality educational outcomes in the country.
The Graphic also reports that the technical and vocational education and training (TVET) sector has received a further boost, with the European Union (EU) investing €17 million in the sector to enhance skills training.
That is in addition to the €15 million the German Government has invested in the sector in the last five years.
Per the agreement, the EU funding for the sector will cover a period of four years and forms part of the union’s larger support programme.
The EU Ambassador to Ghana, lrchad Razaaly, made this known when an EU and German delegation paid a courtesy call on the Minister of Education, Dr Yaw Osei Adutwum, in Accra yesterday.
Mr Razaaly commended Ghana and the government for taking TVET education very seriously, indicating that it was the reason the EU wanted to partner the Ministry of Education.
He indicated that the financial support would focus on areas which could bring more sustainable growth and development to the country.
The Ambassador noted that education was a key area of engagement of the EU worldwide because it saw education as being critical to the development of people.
“We invest in the future in the EU, we invest in the future of our partners, we invest in the future of Africa and that is why education features high in our priorities,” he said.
The Ghanaian Times says that the Bank of Ghana (BoG) has increased the Monetary Policy Rate (MPR) by 250 basis points to 17 per cent from 14.5 per cent over concerns of rising inflation and unfavourable global economic conditions.
The latest hike in the MPC is the highest since November 2018 when the policy rate was increased to 17 per cent and the second since this year.
The MPR is the rate at which the BoG lends to commercial banks in the country and serves as the benchmark interest rate for onward lending to businesses.
Dr Ernest Addison, the Governor of the BoG, announced the new MPR after the 105th regular meeting of the Monetary Policy of Committee of the BoG, and said although the country’s growth momentum was strong, inflation had risen beyond the BoG’s medium-term target band by 5.7 per cent, hence the need to hike the MPR to contain rising inflation.
“Notwithstanding the sustained growth momentum, rising food prices, upward adjustments in petroleum prices and its effect on transport fares, and exchange rate depreciation pass-through have pushed up inflation to 15.7 percent at the end of February 2022, 5.7 percentage points outside the medium-term target band,” he said.
Dr Addison said food inflation jumped sharply from 12.8 percent in December 2021 to 17.4 percent in February 2022, while non-food inflation jumped from 12.5 percent to 14.5 percent over the same period.
“Also, underlying inflationary pressures have increased, signalling broad-based price pressures. The bank’s core inflation measure (defined to exclude energy and utility prices), increased from 11.8 percent in December 2021 to 13.6 percent in January 2022 and further up to 15.4 percent in February 2022. Similarly, weighted inflation expectations comprising consumers, businesses, and financial sector, also picked up significantly over the period,” he said.
GIK/APA