How Innovations support better Public Service Provision in Ghana

 How Innovations support better Public Service Provision in Ghana

The Government of Ghana has launched a number of innovative systems in public service delivery such as paperless system at the ports, Ghana Digital Address System, e-Justice, e-parliament and the national ID card. These innovations are aimed at formalizing the economy through the establishment of a national database linking the country’s Passport Office, National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA), Ghana Revenue Authority among other public institutions. These innovative initiatives are backed by anticipated assurance that, they will help reduce corruption in the country, especially from the public institutions.

Taking into consideration the various efforts by government, some civil society actors and the private sector all aimed at bringing about efficiency public service delivery, Penplusbytes fashioned its 18th Tech Salon around the topic how tech driven innovations can support better public service delivery. Participants for this Tech Salon drew up a rich diverse group of participants from Ghana’s Civil Service, development practitioners, actors from the telecommunication industry, tech and development experts among others.

Our lead discussants for the day included:

• Dr. Evans Aggrey-Darkoh, Public Policy Expert, University of Ghana;
• Papa Arkhurst, E-Governance Expert;
• Eugene Boadu, Head Corporate Affairs, mPedigree and
• Bernard Adjoka, Senior IT Officer, Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority.

In what ways can innovation drive the efficient delivery of public services in Ghana?

Proper use of innovations in public service delivery promises faster and cost-effective provision of public services and improvements in consumer safety and public revenue mobilization. It will also facilitate the generation and processing of customer feedback to promote efficient provision of public services.

The participants, a select cohort of professionals widely exposed to the operations of public service delivery innovations in Ghana, reflected that the recently introduced online goods clearing innovations by the Ghana Ports and Harbors Authority was yielding benefits in plugged revenue loopholes and improved revenue collection. Through the adoption of online application processes, waiting times for identification documents like passports and drivers’ and vehicle licenses were also shortening.

MPedigree, a Ghana-based anti-counterfeiting solutions provider boasting footprints in many parts of Africa, was also mentioned for successfully using innovations to protect consumers and innovations against unsafe products and piracy.

System Bottlenecks
The discussants however lamented some troubling bottlenecks affecting the optimal operations of some of the innovative systems deployed to enhance public service delivery in Ghana.
They noted with frustration that the innovations for expediting the clearance of goods at the country’s ports recently introduced by the Ghana Ports and Harbors Authority, fell short of integrating the internal operations of the organization with the new systems, leading to inadequate acceleration of the organization’s operations.
The wholesale adoption of foreign public service delivery innovations which is sometimes encouraged by the country’s foreign donors, was also identified to be highly inimical to encouraging effective home-grown innovations to tackle the myriad of challenges facing public service delivery in the country.
Poor public procurement practices, lack of proper coordination of operations in public bodies, cultural factors and low public-private collaborations to develop good solutions to address challenges in local public service delivery were some reasons cited for the lingering difficulties in deploying innovations to improve the provision of public services in Ghana.

Way Forward 
To tap innovations for improved delivery of public services in the country, the discussants suggested there must be efficient generation and use of data to guide the design and delivery of public services. Similarly, new media innovations like the various social media platforms must be used to both educate the public and generate feedback on innovations for improved public service delivery.

Cultural norms that promote resistance to technology must be abandoned while best practices in using innovations to boost efficient provision of public services in other countries like South Korea are studied and adopted.

Conclusively, participants at this technology salon were of the view that the Ghanaian culture sees innovations as innate. Thus we should begin to regard innovations as a discipline which can be studied. Ghana’s educational system doesn’t teach how to be innovative, and our cultural orientation is affecting our innovative capacities. And of culture, it goes beyond customary structures. Our mentality, attitudes, way of reasoning all come into play.

Penplusbytes’ Kwami Ahiabenu II honoured at Flamingo Awards

For his efforts in advancing the cause of good journalism in Ghana and beyond, the Executive Director of Penplusbytes, Mr. Kwami Ahiabenu II has been honoured with a citation by the Institute of Financial and Economic Journalists (IFEJ) at the just ended Flamingo Awards 2017 which took place on Friday 26^th of January 2018 at the Du Bois Memorial Centre in Accra.

on the theme The annual event organised by IFEJ, a group of journalists with interest in business and finance issues, to reward journalists who have distinguished themselves in the course of work, was graced by the first Deputy Governor of the Bank of Ghana amongst other dignitaries who spoke on the event theme “Embracing financial inclusion and innovation for growth and development”.

In his citation, the Institute commended Mr. Ahiabenu for his over two decades contributions in merging information and communication technologies with mainstream journalism to improve the quality of news produced in several newsrooms across the continent.

The Citation read:

“Your journey into new ways of reporting the news started over 20 years ago. You saw the link between mainstream journalism and Information and Communications Technology (ICT) and the application of ICT to improve upon news quality.

You have taken advantage of every opportunity to upgrade yourself in the application of new media to journalism and the enhancement of the quality of reportage using those skills. You have through a network of journalists across Africa that you established, empowered many journalists to share ideas and resources relating to their work.

As a member of the Flamingo Awards jury, your constructive criticism on the works of the entries for the IFEJ awards has helped to bring out quality award winners. Your new media hub has served as the rallying point for the jury meetings.

IFEJ is by this citation expressing its gratitude to you, KWAMI AHIABENU II, for your immeasurable contribution to the success of the IFEJ-Flamingo Awards over the years.”

Expressing his gratitude to IFEJ, Mr. Ahiabenu said, “Journalism in Ghana and Africa at large has evolved over the years. Being part of the success story so far told is a privileged honour. We are looking forward to the years when journalism practice in Ghana would be world class and an example to many others.”

The event honoured journalists specialised in reporting on finance and economic thematic areas as well as investigative journalists. Mr. Felix Dela Klutse of the Business Day newspaper emerged the overall winner – Business Journalist of the Year 2017. He won the best in business of health and the best in finance to become the overall best for the second time. He was the overall best business journalist in 2014 during the maiden edition of the awards.

Other winners included Mr. Emmanuel Bruce and Mr. Maxwell Akalaare both of the Daily Graphic were adjudged the best in agribusiness and the best in local economy respectively.

Ms. Jessica Acheampong also of the Graphic and an alumnus of Penplusbytes’ extractives reporting training won the Best in Extractive Reporting.

Ms. Francisca Dickson Arhin of GhOne TV won the best in business/manufacturing reporting; Mr. Kwabena Adu Koranteng of the New Crusading Guide won the best in development reporting. The best in Information and Communication Technology went to Mr. Richard Abbey of the Business and Financial Times and the best in tourism reporting went to Ms. Rebecca Awuah of Ghana Television.

All the above mentioned journalists are alumni of Penplusbytes’ Media trainings over the years.

Penplusbytes congratulates all award winners and wishes them the best in the years ahead.

GIJ fires back at Casely Hayford

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Casely Hayford must apologize and retract his statement against female students of the Ghana Institute of Journalism.

The Students’ Representative Council of the Ghana Institute of Journalism has read a very unfortunate comment attributed to Mr. Casely Hayford of Occupy Ghana ( refer to image for details). The statement was said to have been made on Citi FM’s Saturday flagship program “The Big Issues” on 20th January 2018 and captured in several commentary on social media.

According to him, female students of the Ghana Institute of Journalism are more “interested in fashion parades than empowering themselves”.

The SRC finds his statement to be very sexist, unfortunate, unwarranted, unguided, without basis and an insult to the values of the Ghana Institute of Journalism.

Mr. Casely Hayford in his statement sought to suggest that GIJ female students are only interested in fashion and that should partially be blamed for the “falling” standards in Journalism in the country.

GIJ SRC rejects his assertion completely and would like to  call on him to do the honourable thing of apologizing and retracting his statement.

We would also like to use this opportunity to draw his attention to the following:

1. GIJ remains the topmost Journalism Institution in Ghana. Till date, GIJ has produced the finest of Journalists and Communication professionals who have served and continue to serve this country in various capacities. The media ecosystem is incomplete without the contribution of the Ghana Institute of Journalism and especially its female students and products. GIJ is still in the business of producing journalists who are very professional.
2. GIJ has a robust practical teaching and learning structure that is designed to ensure that students of the Institute come out ready for the inky fraternity. If Casely Hayford and other like-minded people who support such sexist comment care to know, much of the country’s finest female Journalists and Communication professionals have been trained at the Ghana Institute of Journalism. The list is a very tall and non-exhaustive one-the likes of;
3. Adjoa Yeboah Afari

2.Gifty Anti

3. Naa Ashorkor

4.Kate Addo

5. Mabel Aku Banesseh

and a host of others who are not “engaging in fashion parades” in the industry but are shaping the course of Communication and Journalism in the country.

The current female students of the Institute are embarking on similar paths these stalwarts took during their stay at GIJ as many of them are taking up internship opportunities and chasing excellence as far as the learning of the profession is concerned.

It is even more interesting to note that the comment by Mr. Hayford was about the performance of Journalists at the recent Presidential Press Encounter; an issue the SRC has already addressed and made recommendations on.

The said recommendations have been published widely on various online portals.

It is very unfortunate that an opinion leader like Casely Hayford would not use his platform and such opportunities to discuss the quality of the state of Journalism independent of schools and of gender. The quality of Journalism, he and others should be minded, is a product of many things in this county  and not necessarily the training Institute or the conduct of a specific gender. It borders on the vision of media houses, the ability of the media houses to employ professionals, enforcement of standards by regulators and stakeholders and several other contingencies. It is shocking that he, who is supposed to know better, would reduce the discussion to such sexist commentary.

Casely Hayford has to apologize for his misrepresentation of females in GIJ and GIJ at large.

Signed

Nathaniel Alpha

General Secretary

GIJ-SRC

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GIJ students more concerned about fashion than training – Sydney

Member of pressure group, Occupy Ghana, Sydney Casely-Hayford has advised students of the Ghana Institute of Journalism to focus more on empowering themselves than on trivial things such as fashion.

According to him, most of the students at the University, a large number of whom are females, are more concerned about what they wear than their training.

“Go to the Ghana Institute of Journalism, GIJ, and look at the students who are coming out, majority of them are females and when you look at it, you will see that it is more of a fashion parade…so when we are talking about quality of journalism, they should tone down on the fashion and get a little bit more serious with the actual content,” he added.

Mr. Casely-Hayford made the remark on Citi FM’s news analysis programme, The Big Issue on Saturday on the back of President Nana Akufo-Addo’s encounter with the media.

The President met some journalists in the country at the Flagstaff House where he was asked questions on a number of topics spanning various sectors.

Ghanaians subsequently lambasted some of the journalists accusing them of asking irrelevant questions with a report by the Media Foundation for West Africa also questioning the relevance of some of the questions that were asked.

‘Sexist, baseless’

Meanwhile, unhappy with the remarks of Mr. Casely-Hayford, the Students’ Representative Council of GIJ issued a statement chastising the Occupy Ghana member and demanded an apology from him.

“Casely Hayford must apologize and retract his statement against female students of the Ghana Institute of Journalism. The SRC finds his statement to be very sexist, unfortunate, unwarranted, unguided, without basis and an insult to the values of the Ghana Institute of Journalism,” the statement added.


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UN, EU free to monitor our elections: ZIMBABWE

The United Nations (UN) and the European Union (EU) are welcome to monitor the country’s elections to be held this year, President Mnangagwa has said. In an interview with The Financial Times of Britain this week, President Mnangagwa indicated that Zimbabwe would rejoin the Commonwealth, from where it moved out 16 years ago. He reiterated that the country was going to hold free, fair and peaceful elections.

“We want fair, free and credible elections,” said President Mnangagwa in the interview. “In the past, those who had pronounced themselves against us; who pre-determined that our elections would not be free and fair, were not allowed to come in. But now, with this new dispensation, I don’t feel threatened by anything. I would want the United Nations to come, the EU should come. If the Commonwealth were requesting to come, I am disposed to consider their application.”

President Mnangagwa said the country was committed to re-engaging countries with which relations had soured in the past, including Britain. “When we have engagement, they Britain) want to raise the issue about us joining the Commonwealth,” he said. “I said I’ll be happy to deal with that. I personally have nothing against the Commonwealth club.”

President Mnangagwa said the exit by Britain from the European Union popularly known as Brexit was actually a good opportunity for Zimbabwe “because they will need us. “And we will make sure we become very close to them. So that what they’ve lost with Brexit they can come and recover from Zimbabwe.”

Speaking in Mozambique on Wednesday on the fourth leg of his tour of the region in which he is apprising Sadc Heads of State about the political developments in Zimbabwe, President Mnangagwa said the elections should be transparent, free and fair.

“Zimbabwe is going for elections in four to five months’ time and we have to preach peace, peace and peace, because we know it is good for us and we have no doubt that we will have peaceful elections,” he said.

“I assure the regional leadership that the forthcoming harmonised polls will embrace the tenets of democracy, fair play and standards set by us in the Sadc. We will ensure that Zimbabwe delivers free, credible, fair and indisputable elections to ensure Zimbabwe engages the world as a qualified democratic State.” President Mnangagwa has expressed confidence that the ruling Zanu-PF will romp to emphatic victory, as it is the only party in touch with the needs and aspirations of the people.

Final Farewell Message to the Nation of Liberia

Final Farewell Message to the Nation

By Her Excellency, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, President of the Republic of Liberia

January 17, 2018

12 years ago, on the 26th of January, 2006, I had the privilege to address you, the people of Liberia, for the first time as your president. We were a nation exhausted from three decades of conflict. We were starting from zero, with the complete destruction of our national infrastructure, a collapsed economy, and a State incapable of providing services to its people. Our collective faith and resolve were put to test, as they have been many times over in our 170 years of independence.

But the heavy burden my government inherited, and the painful past which we carried together, were no match for you, my dear friends. Never did you lose hope in yourselves, pride in our nation, or the determination to persevere.

It was your energy that lifted me up each day. Motivated me. Gave me the drive to exhaust all possibilities for the benefit of our beloved Liberia. As I speak my last words to you as president, they are simply to say- Thank You for the honor to serve.

Back in 2006, many doubted us -not certain if Liberia's democratic resurgence would last. That our newfound peace would hold.

And yet, look around you. Two peaceful and credible successive national elections. And now, an historic transfer of power from one elected leader to another.

Our democracy is irrevocable. It binds every future leader of this country to the will of the people.

Liberia today reflects the changing face of the Continent, where rule of law, human rights, good governance, and accountability are demanded by its citizens. This is Africa's future. And Liberia is one of its enviable democracies.

Dear fellow Liberians,

The world has changed a great deal over the past decade. Across the globe, governments and nations are turning inward, in search of resolutions to their domestic challenges. For a country like Liberia, this means that we need to be more self-reliant. Each of us has to take on more responsibility for the development of our country.

We had a contentious, highly-charged political year. I know that. But now, we must put the disunity behind us. Liberia has but one president, and one government. We must dedicate ourselves to ensuring its success.

My parting wish is that you will support your new government. Respond to its call for action, and civility. And hold it accountable. My hope is that you cherish our democracy. Participate in it. Respect and support its institutions. Work together to address the challenges and take pride in our success.

I wish to offer thanks to our international partners - the donors, investors, NGO workers, humanitarians, and friends. I leave my presidency in awe of your generosity. In a world with so many great needs, you chose Liberia. We have learned and innovated together, and these gains will go on to benefit our next generation.

We bow our heads to our sisterly African nations, particularly those in West Africa, who granted us refuge during our days of turmoil, helped us to regain our peace, and supported us in the path towards democracy. We can now boast of unprecedented regional solidarity.

I wish to recognize Liberia's essential partner, the government and people of the United States of America who have been with us through our historic journey, and stood by us in our difficult moments. There are many other bilateral partners - China, Germany, Japan, Norway, Sweden, Kuwait and the United Kingdom, to name a few. Please know that Liberia's success is also shared by you.

My thanks to civil society, the judiciary, the Fourth Estate, religious and traditional leaders, through your work, and your prayer, you have strengthened our democracy, and always reminded us of our responsibility to live a life of purpose, and in service to others.

And finally, I wish to express my deep gratitude to all who have served in my government, the political appointees, civil servants, the security services, teachers, healthcare workers and others. You should be immensely proud of what you have contributed to our great nation. You leave behind functioning institutions, a plan of transition, and trained professionals. The foundation has been laid for the next administration.

God bless our president-elect, vice-president elect, and all elected leaders!

God bless the people of Liberia!

God bless our great nation!

Source: A Liberian Journalist

Unleash Your Talents Youth !

UNLEASH 

 A global innovation lab for the Sustainable Development Goals is being held in Singapore

In May 2018, UNLEASH takes place in Singapore. 1,000 of the most talented young people are being handpicked to come up with solutions to the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). They will meet in Singapore to come up with disruptive and innovative solutions within themes related to the SDGs. 

The first UNLEASH took place in Denmark in August 2017. In November 2017, the Danish Prime Minister, Lars Løkke Rasmussen handed over UNLEASH to the Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong during an official visit. “Denmark kick-started this great initiative, and there is no better partner than Singapore to take over. The global SDGs carry the ambition to bring the world we live in closer to the world in which we wish to live. Singapore is known for its foresight, drive, and ability to take action. By passing on the host country torch to Singapore, I am sure that UNLEASH will take yet another important step forward,” said Danish Prime Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen. 

UNLEASH starts on May 30 and the talents will learn from Singaporean private and public sector, who will inspire the talents for their process through the four-day innovation challenge. The talents are put in teams and will work on solutions within their field of expertise. “We each have a valuable contribution to make to sustainable development. This gathering of young, creative and innovative minds will harness the power of human ingenuity, to create imaginative solutions that achieve the SDGs,” said Singapore’s Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong.

At the end of the innovation challenge, the solutions will be perfected and pitched in front of a panel of experts before UNLEASH culminates on June 6, when the final awards show takes place and thought leaders from all over the world will give keynotes to inspire the talents’ way forward. Here the best ideas are also awarded and given prizes to further support the implementation of their solutions.

Applications will be open from January 15 - February 15, 2018. For more information, please visit www.unleash.org.

The case of the Digital Addressing System in Ghana- the role of Technology.

In October 2017, the President of Ghana launched the National Digital Property Addressing System (NDPAS) also known as the Ghana Post GPS  with the aim of providing every location in Ghana with a unique digital address. It is hoped that the Ghana Post GPS will achieve a nationwide use for spatial database information for good governance and socio-economic development.

Penplusbytes gathered a vibrant group of state actors, technologists and civil society actors for its Accra Tech Salon to find ways to improve the Ghana Post GPS using appropriate technology and making it easily accessible to all citizens in Ghana and improve government services.

The discussion featured diverse group of participants with lead discussants including:

• Augustine Blay of the Office of the Vice President
• Jonathan Ansah of Ghana Post
• Kofi Otchere of NITA

The Ghana Post GPS

The Digital Property Address System is an ICT based navigation system designed by a Ghanaian information technology firm, to tackle the challenges of property addressing in Ghana. It is designed to promote the digital mapping of properties and parcels of land across the country for easy navigation and relevant spatial data for effective service delivery.

The participants and lead discussants focused on the following key questions:

How can digital addresses be useful to both urban and rural Ghanaians?

A key issue raised was that the addressing system would help resolve challenges that emergency response institutions face. Rescue teams in Ghana have always been impeded by navigation difficulties in times of accidents at homes, roads or other forms emergencies. This new technology will enable the police service to easily access addresses and deal effectively with crimes. Health providers, fire and ambulance services can easily identify incident locations in order to save lives at a faster rate. All these will be to the benefit of the ordinary Ghanaian and improve government operations.

One of the lead discussants posited that, the addressing system will also create a database of businesses for a more improved and systematic means of tax collection as each business will be registered. Registered business on the system will also mean addresses can be located, which will reduce risk for businesses to access loans, reduce cost of doing business and invariably create job opportunities for Ghanaians. It will also provide the added value of enabling citizens to easily locate service providers by searching on the app.

Should Ghana use existing mapping apps or customize existing ones?

This question generated a lot of debate between the technologists and the participants. The participants claimed the Ghana Post GPS is nothing new and government could have just built on Google maps, which would have saved the country a lot of money. They also argued that Ghana could have generated the digital addresses for free on Google by just building on existing apps available, and there was no reason to have given a private company the same job to do. However, one of the lead discussants was of the opinion that Ghana needed its own digital addressing system, which goes beyond a simple navigational map. The Ghana Post GPS is a licensed version of a global addressing platform that gives a digital address to each country in the world.

The takeaway on this question was how to customize the app to allow people without internet access to use simple SMS and the need for the app to be improved to be able to function offline to allow people without access to internet be able to use it.

What is government’s communication and data strategy for the project?

A point was raised by a participant that orientation on the use of the Ghana Post GPS app has not reached every Ghanaian and the need for government to develop a communication strategy, which will use all media platforms especially social media including WhatsApp to reach all Ghanaians. This it is believed will make the app truly Ghanaian and achieve some of its objectives of reducing the risk profile of citizens and enabling them to access services.

After the session, a participant recommended that SMS and community radio networks should be used to reach people in the rural areas to inform and educate them about the app.

Another participant also recommended a customized game version of the app be invented to enable youth to play with it and become familiar with its uses, which will lead to creating of innovative ideas for future updates on the app.

The general recommendation was for government to engage other technologists (developers and programmers) to look at all the loopholes identified and strategize the national digital and properties addressing system to really be effective in the country, the Government together with stakeholders should really reflect over the loopholes and find lasting solutions there from.

'Shithole outrage': U.S. envoy assures A.U. of American respect for Africa

Ripples of United States president Donald Trump’s derogatory comments about Africans and Haitians continue in diplomatic circles despite his denial late last week.

The African Union (A.U.) envoys in Washington issued a strongly worded statement demanding a retraction and apology whiles a number of African governments have also condemned and sought clarification from U.S. envoys in their countries.

The African Union Commission chair Moussa Faki Mahamat also expressed dismay last week. Mahamat on Monday met with the U.S. ambassador to the A.U.

Ambassador MaryBeth Leonard assured the A.U. chief that Washington deeply respected Africans and valued the shared relationships and partnerships between the two parties.

AMB Leonard had a great meeting today with @AUC_MoussaFaki @_AfricanUnion and on the occasion of #MLKDay discussed our deep respect for the people of #Africa, tolerance and our shared core values. The United States deeply values its enduring partnerships with Africa.

“I received US Amb MaryBeth Leonard and took the opportunity to reiterate the African Union’s outrage at the comments attributed to Donald Trump. For a mutually beneficial partnership to flourish, we have to relate on a respectful and dignified basis,” Mahamat said in a tweet accompanied by photos of their meeting.

Trump is quoted to have said: “Why do we want all these people from Africa here? They’re shithole countries … We should have more people from Norway.”

He made the comments whiles meeting a bipartisan group of Senators at the White House on Thursday. He has tweeted today denying the use of the word.

Source: Here

Penplusbyte Assesses Government Anti-Corruption Efforts.

Accra, (G/AR), Jan15, 2018 - Penplusbyte’s yearly review of anti-corruption in Ghana has rated the NPP Government’s efforts at 45%. The rating is based on analysis of a citizens’ perception poll conducted by Penplusbyte, one year after the NPP came into office.

Penplusbyte is a non-profit governance organisation aimed at deepening citizens’ participation through information and communication technology (ICT).

On the heels of these negative public perceptions, Ghana also began the year, ranked 70th in Transparency International’s Corruption Perception Index (CPI) released on 25th January 2017.

Losing four places from the last CPI indication - our country is losing the anti-corruption fight and unable to tackle high profile corruption cases contrary to promises made during and after the elections.

During election 2016, the New Patriotic Party (NPP) promised to set up an independent office to prosecute issues of corruption. In furtherance of this, President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo assured Ghanaians, among other promises, that he was committed to dealing with corrupt individuals within and outside his government.

To its credit, and in line with its anti-corruption stance, government passed the Special Prosecutor Bill on 14th November 2017 with more than 30 amendments after which President Akufo-Addo appended his signature to the Act on 2nd January 2018.

The biggest threat to success of the Special Prosecutor Act is likely to emanate from political bias of the prosecutor who is expected to espouse the fundamental principles of equality before the law, fairness and natural justice.

In a bid to reduce human interface with public servants, which engenders corruption, the new government has also recorded some achievements which include:  automation of various institutions and governance processes such as port automation, E-procurement, online application of passport and online registration of cars at the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA).

Meanwhile, the first year of Akufo-Addo’s government has not been without allegations of corruption. The first of these was MP for Bawku Central, Hon. Mahama Ayariga’s claim of a 3,000 Cedis bribe to the vetting committee to induce the approval of Hon. Boakye Agyarko’s nomination as Minister of Energy and Petroleum. A Parliamentary Committee later cleared Boakye Agyarko of all the accusations.

Immediately followed the scandal of 5 million litres of contaminated fuel sold by BOST to two unregistered companies called Movenpina and Zupoil which were setup only a few days before the sale. The state is believed to have lost 7 million Cedis in revenue from that deal but the Energy Ministry cleared BOST from any violation of the sales processes.

Next came allegations against two Deputy Chiefs of Staff accused of taking $20,000 from people who wanted to see the president, a claim made by Kwame Asare Obeng (A-plus), a well-known musician and supporter of Akufo-Addo’s presidential campaign, who allegedly described them as thieves. The two deputies, Francis Asenso-Boakye and John Jinapor, however, rejected the allegations and were subsequently cleared by the Police CID and CHRAJ on further investigations.

Assin Central Member of Parliament, Kennedy Agyapong’s allegations against Ursula Owusu Ekuful (Communication Minister) also broke, alleging malfeasance in the award of contracts for production of National Identification cards in which he had interest.

Ghanaian media also featured the alleged “sale of seats” to expatriate businessmen to sit close to the president during a business awards ceremony. The Minority Chief Whip Alhaji Muntaka Mubarak (MP for Asawase) and Hon. Okudjeto Ablakwa accused the Trade and Industry Ministry of selling seats (ranging from $25,000 to $100,000) at the first Ghana Expatriates Business Awards in order to sit close to President Akufo-Addo. 

Last but not the least was the case of 800,000 Cedis allegedly used to create a website for the Special Initiative Ministry which raised eyebrows. The figures quoted in the Ministry’s budget looked bloated including 132,000 Cedis for drilling a mechanised borehole and 500,000 Cedis for the purchase of a four-wheel drive vehicle.

Government has failed on its promise to amend the Criminal Offences Act (Act 29) and make corruption a felony rather than a misdemeanour as is currently the case. Amendment to the Act, it is believed, would prevent the spread of corruption and undermining of the effectiveness and efficiency of state institutions while strengthening government’s resolve in the fight against corruption. 

Alibaba's AI software surpasses humans in reading test.

SINGAPORE: Alibaba Group's research team on Monday (Jan 15) said its deep learning software has scored higher than a human being on Stanford University's reading comprehension test - an achievement it touted as the first win for the machines. 

In a press release, Alibaba's Institute of Data Science of Technologies (iDST) said its neural network generated a score of 82.44 in providing exact answers to questions, beating the humans' score of 82.304, on the Stanford Question Answering Dataset (SQuAD). 

However, Microsoft Research Asia appears to have at least equalled the feat, and earlier, as it scored 82.650 on Jan 3, two days before iDST notched its achievement on Jan 5, according to the SQuAD's website. 

SQuAD is a large-scale reading comprehension dataset that consists of more than 100,000 question-answer pairs based on more than 500 Wikipedia articles, and participating teams are to build machine-learning models to provide answers to questions, the online site said.  

Regardless, the performance of the deep learning software is a "milestone" worth noting, said iDST's chief scientist of natural language processing Si Luo. 

"That means objective questions such as 'what causes rain' can now be answered with high accuracy by machines," the chief scientist said in the press release.

"To our excitement, we believe the technology underneath can be gradually applied to numerous applications such as customer services, museum tutorial and online response to inquiry from patients, freeing up human efforts in an (unprecedented) way.” 

According to a South China Morning Post report on Monday, the scientist said the system currently only works with questions that offer clear-cut answers, and if they are "too vague or ungrammatical, or there is no prepared answer", the software may not work as it should.

The research unit said the model is based off its Hierarchical Attention Network, which reads from paragraphs to sentences to words, in order to locate the precise phrases with potential answers. 

This has been applied during Alibaba's major global shopping festivals, such as Singles Day, over the years, with machines answering the large volumes of questions sent by consumers during this period, it added. 

Artificial intelligence technology have been making significant strides in recent times, with Google's AlphaGo defeating Chinese Go master Ke Jie in a best-of-three series last May, after it had defeated South Korean Go grandmaster Lee Se-dol in March the same year. 

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