PRACTICING JOURNALISM OF LOVE AS WE ENTER ELECTION YEAR 2012

By Mawutodzi Abissath

You may keep in mind this weird but wisdom- impregnated Ewe proverb which says: “You don’t notice the value of buttocks until you grow a boil over there.”
Journalism is such a tricky profession or vocation or occupation or trade (whichever is applicable) that sometimes, some practitioners themselves do not know what it is that they are practicing. Journalism has no definition. Everybody is free to interpret it to suit their whims and caprices.
Journalism is a multi-faceted profession that seems to be simple but complicated; delicate but rough; difficult but easy; sweet but bitter; humble but tough; debasing but glamorous; monotonous but exiting; peaceful but warlike and hateful but loving and affectionate etc.
Journalism seems to be the only profession that is taken for granted in our part of the globe. In Ghana for instance, some people think that once they can speak, read and write some kind of English langue they are qualified to appoint themselves as editors-in-chief and practice journalism as they please. Of course, legal or medical professions do not lend themselves to that pleasure.
But one basic difference between a journalist and a doctor is that, when the latter makes a mistake, it is buried. On the contrary, when a journalist commits an error, the whole world will see it at once. Thus, journalism is a transparent profession as against medicine. For instance, if after a surgical operation a reckless doctor forgets the tools in the patient’s stomach and the unfortunate happens. You will have no choice but to pick up your dead relative for burial. Period! But if a journalist misspells the name of the President, it is there for all to see.
Journalism is also a profession or trade that can be learned on the job. In other words, one does not necessarily have to go to journalism school to practice it. And history is replete with some of the best and outstanding journalists who have never seen the colour of journalism classroom before in their lives. But they are practitioners in their own right.
One typical example one can cite here is the famous columnist of the Ghanaian Times Mr. Cameron Dodu. Even Komla Dumoh, the baritone-voice-Ghanaian-born broadcaster of BBC world news fame. These are just a couple of excellent Ghanaian journalism practitioners who might have not formally learned the trade in a classroom but on the job and they can, in all fairness, be described as icon of the profession in the true sense of the word. There is a saying that if your friend is more handsome than you, you better accept it and praise him.
I have cited these personalities to drive home a point that journalism is a unique profession in its own class that must not be compared with any other profession on this planet of professionalism. But that is exactly where the danger lies. Because it is a unique profession where one does not necessarily have to go into a classroom or a laboratory to be tutored how it must be practiced, if care is not taken the practitioner may find himself or herself on the wrong side of the law of defamation, or contempt of court or plagiarism.
This article is not meant to teach journalists how to do their jobs. But there is a popular saying in the Ghanaian society that because “wearers of batakali or smock are too many, one cannot tell the genuine Islamic practitioners from the fake ones.” Because there are many so-called journalists in Ghana today, it is difficult to distinguish genuine practitioners from the quack ones or swindlers. This calls for caution on the part of both practitioners and the consumers.
It is therefore, imperative for journalists themselves to embark on what may be termed as peer review mechanism. It pays to indulge in some kind of self-examination from time to time. In fact, if journalists are bold and courageous enough to be the first to criticize themselves whenever they go wrong, they will not feel offended when the public criticizes them. After all, journalists, like any professionals, can err and do err so what is the big deal. Journalists should never pretend to be angels with the holier than thou attitude. Journalists will gain more public confidence and command more respect if they condemn themselves in no uncertain terms when they hit below the belt. That is what I mean by indulging in peer review mechanism.
Since 1992, Ghana has conducted four successful general elections where a ruling government has lost power and peacefully handed the administration of the country to the opposition. Again, the table has turned and the ruling opposition in power has also lost power and handed over to the previous government in opposition. Thus, after 16 years of democratic practice, Ghana has become the icon of democracy in Africa. But it is too early for Ghana to be democratically complacent. The U K or USA democracies have been running for hundreds of years and must not be compared with democracy in Africa for now.
Nevertheless, if there is any single institution that has contributed in no small measure for this success story of democracy in the country, it is the Ghanaian media. For example, during the 1992 elections when the then opposition parties boycotted the presidential elections and there was no opposition in parliament, it took the Ghanaian media to single-handedly play the role of opposition to balance what was then described as rubber-stamp parliament.
Now, this author wishes to commend Ghanaian journalists for the role they have played in the success story of democratic practice in this country so far. He also humbly appeals to them not to do anything to destroy that which they themselves have helped to build over the years. Let journalists pause for a moment. Let them take three deep breaths; relax and see themselves in November 2012.
As the electioneering campaigns are at their pick, politicians will be at each other’s throat. Ghanaian politicians can do everything and anything under the sun, except to turn a man into a woman. Where will the journalist stand in this scheme of political “azonto dance?”
For Ghana to have very peaceful and successful elections once again, the journalist must practice journalism of love. What is journalism of love then? As the term implies, journalism of love is simply journalism of love. This is the type of journalism whereby the practitioner does not engage in hatred, viciousness, mischief, unnecessary sensationalism, and journalism of insult.
Journalism of love is the practice in which the practitioner will only write or talk about others as he or she will like others to write or talk about him or her. Journalism of love is the practice where the practitioner will endeavour not to deliberately fabricate, or concoct falsehood to tarnish the reputation of anybody regardless of their socio-economic, political and cultural status.
Journalism of love is the practice in which the practitioner will not pick pen and paper only to write a story knowing full well that, that which he or she is writing is not the truth. That he is writing to play one politician again the other. Or he is writing because one politician has influenced him in one way or another to do so to satisfy his whims and caprices.
Journalism of love is the practice whereby the practitioner will not mount a microphone in a radio or television studio and start castigating, agitating or provoking one ethnicity against the other. Or stoke up religious charcoal or firewood to set ablaze the tent of peaceful co-existence.
Journalism of love is the practice whereby the broadcaster will not go into a studio only to embark on a phone-in-calls exercise by asking his callers to demonize one particular political party for no apparent reasons. Or give the opportunity to party members of one political party to verbally assault other party members who are not present in the studio to defend themselves.
Journalism of love is a practice where the practitioner will create an equal platform for all politicians to educate and inform the electorate about their programmes for development; and for which reason they must be voted into power. In fact, the practitioner must even go further to encourage the politicians not only to say what they will do but how they will do it and the concrete impact their programmes and projects will have on living standards of the people .
Journalism of love is nothing new under the sun. All that has been said here can be summarized in one paragraph with this recommendation thus: “All media practitioners in Ghana are kindly requested to obtain a copy of Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) Code of Ethics and endeavour to put into practical application, the spirit and letter of its contents from Article 1 to Article 17.”a And that is practicing Journalism of Love as we enter election year 2012. Period!
The writer is Deputy Director/Head of ICT at the Information Services Department

ECOWAS Science Journalists To Champion Africa’s Development Agenda

By Mawutodzi Abissath (Back from Abuja, Nigeria)

The significance of the philosophy of SANKOFA in Ghanaian folklore is more profound than the mere notion of going back to pick or fetch what one may have forgotten.
Indeed, the SANKOFA concept admonishes that if you forget something and you remember it, it is no crime to go back for it. But the caveat is when you go back to fetch that which you might have forgotten, you should not remain rooted in your seemingly comfort zone alone , but to turn back and continue with your intended journey.
Today, some modern sociologists are trying to debunk the notion that the media is the fourth estate of the realm after, the executive, legislature and the judiciary. In fact, some of these ‘latter-day- sociological-gurus’ have “nickodemously” downgrade the media from the fourth position to the ninth on the scale of 1-10 where 1 is the highest and 10 the lowest. They are entitled to their imaginations.
This author recalls vividly that in 1994, after the Rwanda’s genocide episode, the then Former UN Under Secretary for Peace-keeping, Mr. Kofi Annan, issued a statement in May the following year, in commemoration of the International Press Day and called on journalists worldwide to practice what he termed as “Preventive Journalism.”
Dr. Kofi Annan who later became the first black African UN Secretary General in 1997, reasoned that if Rwanda journalists had practiced Preventive Journalism the unfortunate genocide that traumatized the conscience of the world could have been avoided. This shows how powerful the media was considered by such an international man of global wisdom.
But the object of this piece is not to eulogize the media or vilify those sociologists who think the media is of no consequence to societal evolution as far as socio-economic, political and cultural advancement of mankind is concerned.
The purpose is to alert the suffering masses of the West African sub-region that their regional political body – Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has identified journalists in general and science journalists in particular as a force to reckon with when it comes to the development of the entire African Continent.
This writer wonders why it took ECOWAS almost 40 years of its existence to discover journalists as being one of the best partners in development for the prosperity of the continent. But as it is commonly agreed in principle, too late is better than never. The French will put it this way: “Mieux vaut tard que jamais!” Of course, some previous military governments had their own notion about the media. Thus some media practitioners were treated more as common criminals than development agents on our wealthy but poor continent.
Did you know that on 17 and 18 October, 2011, in the magnificent capital city of Abuja, Nigeria, ECOWAS made history that could be described as innovative in the development strategy of the African Continent? On those two memorable days, ECOWAS, in collaboration with the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), the Scientific, Technical and Research Commission (STRC) of the African Union Commission (AUC), organized a Science Communication Training Workshop for some selected journalists from the sub-region.
The workshop brought face to face forty (40) top-notch managers of communication training institutions, high level representatives of AU, ECOWAS, UNESCO and ECA, scientists and journalists for this innovative brain-storming event of capacity building. The workshop was under a broad theme of “Making Science and Technology Information More Accessible for Africa’s Development”
Without exaggeration, one can characterize delegates of the training workshop as ‘Commanders-in-Chief’ of development communication, who called for an emergency session to plot strategies to launch an attack on problems confronting Africa’s development. The strategy sought to deploy journalists as the first infantry battalions, who were armed with Science, Technology and Innovation as weapons to move onto the battle field. It was fireworks all the way! Intellectual and academic debates ensued.
Deliberations were frank amidst heated but friendly arguments of give and take. People spoke their minds freely without looking over their shoulders. Naturally, no genuine forum of journalists can flourish without some kinds of controversy. As a matter of fact, there was one topic on “Reporting on Controversies – Ethics in reporting science controversies”
Like other speakers, the resource person from Ghana expressed his views with passion. His area was to focus on the Ghanaian Experience as far as the deployment of ICT tools for development was concerned. With all humility, his presentation was one of those acclaimed.
He felt rather disappointed that Africa was crawling instead of flying on the developmental plane on this planet of science and technology. He could not fathom why Africa should be wallowing in abject poverty with all the resources at its command.
When he was challenged by a Professor from Nigeria that it was not totally correct to create the impression that Africa was not developing, he agreed with the view that something was being done. But he reminded the learned Professor of the natural resources such as gold, diamond, bauxite, uranium, oil and gas etc, with which the Continent was endowed.
He opined that if half of those resources were to be allocated to some other countries like, Singapore, Israel and others, the Continent would have been feeding, clothing and sheltering the entire world with ease.
At the end of it all, a comprehensive pack of recommendations were drawn up and adopted. An African Network of Science Journalists was launched and a ten-member (10) Steering Committee set up to ensure the implementation of the adopted recommendations.
Mr. Thierry Amoussougbo, Regional Advisor, ICT, Science and Technology Division of ECA, who chaired this gamut of ceremony of drafting, reading, adoption, nomination and inauguration of the steering committee, told members to live up to expectation.
Dr. Fackson Banda Programme Specialist Communication Development Division of Communication and Information Sector of UNESCO assisted Mr. Amoussougbo with his expertise in drafting of the recommendations. He did not mince his words at all when he told the Committee members in the face to “stop talking and work and work, and work,” he stressed.
Among other things, the recommendations were premised on the fact that, “Science, technology and innovation have served as the foundations of social and economic well-being since the beginning of human civilization.”
That Africa cannot meet its healthcare, water, infrastructure, education, employment needs, develop industries and overcome economic challenges without significant investment in science, technology and innovation.
That poor relationship which exists between scientists, research institutions and journalists tends to affect effective communication; adding that only effectively communicated knowledge could benefit individuals with the power and skills to put that knowledge in practical application.
Participants took special note of the tremendous efforts UNESCO is making in building science journalism capacity on the African continent. As to whether Ghana is taking advantage of these efforts is yet to be verified.
As part of the workshop programme, some of the representatives of the UNESCO Reference Centres of Excellence were given the opportunity to brief participants on activities of their respective countries. These countries included Niger, Guinea, Senegal, Burkina-Faso and Nigeria.
Workshop participants also commended the efforts made by ECOWS, ECA, UNDP, AU and other individuals and organizations for the realization of the programme. This workshop happened to be the first of its kind. Resources were limited and the organization had not been easy at all.
It is the noble intention of the organizers to extend this training programme to journalists of other sub-regions such as Eastern, Central, Southern and Northern Africa to galvanize science journalists to champion the development agenda of Africa by making science and technology information available, affordable and accessible to all.
First batch of journalists who benefited from the training workshop were drawn from Benin, Burkina-Faso, Liberia, Guinea, Ghana, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda and Senegal as well as African Federation of Science Journalists, (AFSJ), USECO, ECA, ECOWAS and AU.
This writer will like to take the opportunity to call on Ghanaian journalists to embrace science reporting to enable them to benefit from the capacity building package UNESC has in store for media practitioners on the Continent. There is a need for ICT journalists in particular and science journalists in general to come together to form a solid national body and join the continental professional organization. It has been observed that apart from Nigeria, only French speaking countries are taking advantage of the science related training opportunities available.
It is also suggested that in future, some African millionaires like Moh Ibrahim and former African Heads of State like H.E. President Olusegu Obasanjor should be approached for sponsorships to supplement the efforts of ECOWAS for the advancement of the sub-region.
I have no doubt that some African industrialists and corporate bodies would be willing to support. ECOWAS has good intentions but its financial base needs to be strengthened in order to support journalists to champion the course of Africa’s Development Agenda.

Group Photograph of Participants at the Abuja Workshop
The Writer is Deputy Director/Head of ICT at ISD

GJA LAUNCHES SOCIAL MEDIA WEBSITE IN ACCRA

By Mawutodzi K. Abissath

The Ghana Journalists Association (GJA), October 21, 2011, launched a Social Media website within the premises of the association’s headquarters at the International Press Centre in the Ghanaian capital of Accra.
For the benefit of those colleague international journalists who are yet to visit Ghana, Ghana’s International Press Centre is strategically located adjacent to the premier communication training school in Africa, the Ghana Institute of Journalism (GIJ) nested in the greenery foliage opposite the British High Commission in the heart of Accra.
Mr. Ransford Tetteh, President of GJA, who performed the launching ceremony, encouraged Ghanaian media practitioners, both ancient and modern, popularly referred to as traditional journalists or online journalists, to embrace the social media in vogue, which is the future of the noble profession. “Whether we like it or not, the social media has come to stay. We have no choice but to embrace it,” he stressed.

The GJA President took the opportunity to advise about 80 trainee journalists present, who were purposely selected from various communication training institutions in the country to take advantage of available technologies to learn more about the social media such as tweeter , face book, flikr, YouTube, blogging etc , while in school.
The occasion itself was the 10 the anniversary celebration of the coming into being of the PenPlusBytes International Institute of ICT Journalism under the initiative of Mr. Kwame Ahiabenu II.
The event brought together some top-notch industry players and veteran journalists to share their loaded experiences with up and coming journalists who are to take over the mantle of journalism practice with all the information and communication technology at their command.
For example, Dr. Kwabena Riserson, Research Scientist and Information Management Programme of the Institute of Industrial Research (CSIR) delivered the keynote address and reminded participants that development will be a mirage without science and technology.
Mr. Kenneth Ashigbey, CEO of Joy FM and MD- in-waiting of the Graphic Communications Group was in the chair for the programme. He told trainee journalists that the media landscape is fast changing where the multimedia convergence is the order of the day.
Mr. Mawutodzi K. Abissath, Deputy Director and Head of ICT at the Information Services Department (ISD) of Ministry of Information, was present to enlighten student journalists about the functions of the Government of Ghana Portal (GoG Portal) www.ghana.gov.gh .
Mr. Abissath told young journalists that the GoG Portal is the official website of the Republic of Ghana where authentic and accurate information about Ghana ranging from Presidential State of Nation Addresses, Annual Budget Statements of Ministry of Finance, Parliamentary Bills and Acts, Profile of Ministers of states, Speeches and Policy Documents can be obtained free of charge.
He said the GoG Portal is “one-stop-non-stop- information shop” on Ghana ; adding that it is the electronic gateway to Ghana where investors go to access relevant and reliable information about Ghana before they emplane to land in the land of hospital people of Ghana. ’It is the website for researchers, journalists, educators, and students undertaking project works,’ he noted.

Other experts who did presentations at the workshop included representatives of Myjoyonline, on the topic: Revenue models for onlinenews; Citifmonline, Edge cube, Ghanaweb,all of spoke on the theme: Online News Publishing and Online tools for gathering news - Dot house.

Other important topics discussed were Modern trends in broadcast technologies by a representative from Viasat1; Mobile Journalism - SMSGH,Mobile Centent;and Mr. Daniel Maafo C.T.O of BulksSMS.

The workshop ended with a Keynote address on Social media and journalism- ENHANCING YOUR FUTURE AS A JOURNALIST THROUGH ONLINE JOURNALISM. This was delivered via Video Conference technique by the Director of the MIT Centre for Civic Media, USA. The event was described by one student trainee as "an eye opener experience".

The Communication Training Institutions whose students participated in the programme were the Ghana Institution of Journalism, the School of Communication Studies, University of Ghana, Legon, the Winner University of Education, the Africa University College of Communication and the Jayee University College.
M.K.Abissath, reporting from the GJA Headquarters in Accra

PENPLUSBYTES 10TH ANNIVERSARY BOOT-CAMP IN PICTURES

(c) All photographs published here were taken by the writer and blogger Mawutodzi K.Abissath

ECOWAS/ECA SCIENCE COMMUNICATION TRAINING WORKSHOP IN PICTURES

BY MAWUTODZI K. ABISSATH

All photographs published on this blog were taken by Mawutodzi Kodzo Abissath
Ghanaian Bilingual Journalist, Writer, Poet and Blogger. Credit must go to the ECOWAS/ECA/UNESCO/UNDP/and AU who made it possible for Western African Science Journalists to benefit from the first Science Communication Training Workshop held in Abuja, Nigeria, from October, 17 - 19, 2011 under the theme: Making Science and Technology Information More Accessible for Africa's Development.
http://www.blogger.com/post-edit.g?blogID=2838568261160567932&postID=2820989030257553545

M.K.Abissath Reporting from Accra, Ghana

SCIENCE COMMUNICATION WORKSHOP ENDS IN ABUJA

By Mawutodzi K. Abissath
ECOWAS/ECA initiated two-day science communication training workshop for identified Western African journalists, came to a successful close on Tuesday, October 18 in the magnificent Nigerian capital city of Abuja, with a call on science journalists to be open-mined.
They must live a life of a walking question mark , with their noses always sniffing for accurate science and technology information, which must not only be made available and affordable but also more accessible for Africa’s development for the prosperity of the citizens of the Continent.
Forty (40) participants made up of top-notch communication training institutions, high level representatives from ECA, UNESCO, ECOWAS, ICT experts, scientists and specialist science and technology journalists, took part in the energy sapping intellectual deliberation which could best be described as brain-storming event.
Without exaggeration, one can characterize delegates of the training workshop as ‘Commanders-in-Chief’ of development communication, who called for an emergency session to plot strategies to launch an attack on problems confronting Africa’s development. The strategy sought to deploy journalists as the first infantry battalions, who were armed with Science, Technology and Innovation as weapons to move onto the battle field. It was fireworks all the way! Intellectual and academic debates ensued.
Deliberations were frank amidst heated but friendly arguments of give and take. People spoke their minds freely without looking over their shoulders. Naturally, no genuine forum of journalists can flourish without some kinds of controversy. As a matter of fact, there was one topic on “Reporting on Controversies – Ethics in reporting science controversies”
Like other speakers, the resource person from Ghana expressed his views with passion. He felt rather disappointed that Africa was crawling instead of flying on the developmental plane on this planet of science and technology. He could not fathom why Africa should be wallowing in abject poverty with all the resources at its command.
When he was challenged by a Professor from Nigeria that it was not totally correct to create the impression that Africa was not developing, he agreed with the view that something was being done. But he reminded the learned Professor of the natural resources such as gold, diamond, bauxite, uranium, oil and gas etc, with which the Continent was endowed.
He opined that if half of those resources were to be allocated to some other countries like, Singapore, Israel and others, the Continent would have been feeding, clothing and sheltering the entire world with ease.
At the end of it all, a comprehensive pack of recommendations were drawn up and adopted. An African Network of Science Journalists was launched and a ten-member (10) Steering Committee set up to ensure the implementation of the adopted recommendations.
Mr. Thierry Amoussougbo, Regional Advisor, ICT, Science and Technology Division of ECA, who chaired this gamut of ceremony of drafting, reading, adoption, nomination and inauguration of the steering committee, told members to live up to expectation.

Mr. Thierry Amoussougbo, ECA
Dr. Fackson Banda Programme Specialist Communication Development Division of Communication and Information Sector of UNESCO assisted Mr. Amoussougbo with his expertise in drafting of the recommendations. He did not mince his words at all when he told the Committee members in the face to “stop talking and work and work, and work,” he stressed

Dr. Fackson Banda, UNESCO

Among other things, the recommendations were premised on the fact that, “Science, technology and innovation have served as the foundations of social and economic well-being since the beginning of human civilization.”
That Africa cannot meet its healthcare, water, infrastructure, education, employment needs, develop industries and overcome economic challenges without significant investment in science, technology and innovation.
That poor relationship which exists between scientists, research institutions and journalists tends to affect effective communication; adding that only effectively communicated knowledge could benefit individuals with the power and skills to put that knowledge in practical application e.
Participants took special note of the tremendous efforts UNESCO is making in building science journalism capacity on the African continent.
As part of the workshop programme, some of the representatives of the UNESCO Reference Centres of Excellence were given the opportunity to brief participants on activities of their respective countries. These countries included Niger, Guinea, Senegal, Burkina-Faso and Nigeria.
Workshop participants also commended the efforts made by ECOWS, ECA, UNDP, AU and other individuals and organizations for the realization of the programme. This workshop happened to be the first of its kind. Resources were limited and the organization had not been easy at all.
It is the noble intention of the organizers to extend this training programme to journalists of other sub-regions such as Eastern, Central, Southern and Northern Africa to galvanize science journalists to champion the development agenda of Africa by making science and technology information available, affordable and accessible to all.
First batch of journalists who benefited from the training workshop were drawn from Burkina-Faso, Liberia, Guinea, Ghana, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda and Senegal as well as African Federation of Science Journalists, (AFSJ), USECO, ECA, ECOWAS and AU.
May I suggest that in future, some African millionaires like Moh Ibrahim and former African Heads of State like H.E. President Olusegu Obasanjor should be approached for sponsorships to supplement the efforts of ECOWAS. I have no doubt that some of them would be willing to support.

M. K. Abissath @ ECOWAS
Secretariat, Abuja, Nigeria
Mawutodzi Kodzo Abissath is Ghanaian Bilingual Journalist, writer and poet
He served as one of the Resource Persons of the Science Communication Training Workshop Abuja, Nigeria, held from October, 17 – 19, 2011
Email. Abissath@gmail.com
Blog:
http://abissathmodernblog.blogspot.com/
Old Blog: http://abissathfeatures-mawu.blogspot.com/

ECOWAS SCIENCE COMMUNICATION WORKSHOP OPENS IN ABUJA

By Mawutodzi K. Abissath

A two-day intensive Science Communication Training Workshop, aimed at helping journalists and writers to create awareness about the importance of science and technology in the development of Africa opened yesterday, October 17, Abuja, Nigeria.
The workshop which is being attended by about 35 participants including selected ICT journalists from West Africa, communication educators, science and technology experts, technocrats and others, is under a broad theme: “Making Science and Technology Information More Accessible for Africa’s Development.
Engineer Umar Bindir, Director General, National Office for Technology Acquisition and Promotion (NOTAP), Nigeria, who delivered the Key Note Address at the ECOWAS Conference Centre noted that the time had come for African scientists to go beyond the traditional way of agric production with hoe and cutlasses and indulge in large and modern plantation cultivation system to feed the continent

Engineer Umar B. Bindir (left) Deliver of Keynote Address at the workshop
Dr. Bindir could not understand why after 50 years of independence, not a single African country could be classified among 100 developed economies of the world, despite resources of the continent. NOTAP Director-General expressed regret when he once sighted a document that cited Bangladesh and Nigeria as the epitome of “poor countries”. He vowed to ensure that Nigeria at attained the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) by 2020. He has propounded a theory of 7777 Development Plan for Nigerian
Dr. Bindir, expects that each seven- year (7) period will see Nigeria achieving specific development strategy.
Mr. Thierry Amoussougbo, Regional Advisor Officer, ICT, Science and Technology Division (ISTD) Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) based in Ethiopia, who is the brain behind the training workshop for journalists, called on African journalists to endeavour to communicate in the language that would help ordinary citizens for the development of the Continent.

Mr. Thierry Amoussougbo, (right) Brain-child of workshop, directing affairs.
Other speakers of the day included Dr. Kyari Mohammed, Scientific Officer, African Union, Commission-STRC, Lagos, Mr. Joseph Ngu, Director of the UNESC, Office, Abuja, Nigeria, Mr. Diran Onifade, Publisher, Africa-STI.com and President, African Federation of Science Journalist for Development.
Others were Dr. Roland Kouakou, Chief Division Science and Technology, ECOWAS, and Dr. Jean-Pierre Ilboudo, Regional Adviser for communication and information, UNESCO, Addis Ababa as was as Dr. Fackson Banda, Programme Specialist, Communication Development Division, Communication and Information Sector, based in Paris, France, who flew in to place his expertise at disposal of the workshop organizers for the benefit of Science Reporters.
The training workshop which formally ends, Tuesday, October 18 being sponsored by the African Union (AU), United Nation Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO), the Department of Human Resource Science and Technology (HRSTC) of the African Union Commission, the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) in collaboration with the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), Nigeria.

Experience From UNESCO’s Reference And Excellence Centers.

Delegates whose portraits appeared on pages 3 & 4 of this article including Niger, Guinea, Burkina-Faso, Senegal and Nigeria briefly up-dated participants about progress and challenges of UNESCO Reference and Excellence Centres in their respective countries.

• Mawutodzi K. Abissath, Bilingual ICT Journalist & Resource Person from Ghana, Reporting from Abuja, Nigeria!

GHANA ON THE WAY TO INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY KINGDOM

GHANA ON THE WAY TO INFORMATION   TECHNOLOGY KINGDOM

BY MAWUTODZI ABISSATH
You may take note of this simple but profound African proverb. It says: “If your grandmother divulges a confidential matter about your mother to you, you don’t challenge her that you are going to verify the truth from your mother!”
 

In October, 1998, under the leadership of the then Ministry of Communications, now Ministry of Information, Ghana held the first National Communications Policy Conference, dubbed ‘ComPol’98’ at the Accra International Conference Centre. This writer happened to be the Secretary to the Planning Committee of that Conference with Prof. Kwesi Ansu-Kyeremeh, then Director of the School of Communication Studies of the University of Ghana, Legon as Chairman. 

 The object of Compol’98 was to formulate a comprehensive Communications Policy for Ghana. Because of our ‘bureaucratic’ way of doing things as a nation, the final policy document remained at the Cabinet level and could not reach Parliamentary for debate before the 2000 elections and the then ruling NDC Government was voted out of power.

In September, 2001, the then NPP Government, also organized another national conference at GIMPA to review the Communications Policy document prepared by the NDC in 1998. That day was a Tuesday, 11^th September, 2001, when the terrorists of this world used aircrafts full of human beings to crush into the twin-World Trade Centres in America. That incident is what is now dubbed the “9/11 bombing” in the history of America and mankind. (This is for students of history). 

Finally, in 2003, Ghana’s Information and Communication Technology for Accelerated Development Policy was passed into law by Parliament and became known as (ICT4AD). The document can be accessed on the Ministry of Communications’ website, www.moc.gov.gh  in that document, there are what is referred to as ‘14 Pillars’ and ‘Pillar 8’ is devoted to the Concept of Community Information Centres (CICs).

According to Ghana Investment Fund for Electronic Communication (GIFEC), the Agency under Ministry of Communications, responsible for the implementation of the CICs prorammes and projects, Government has acknowledged that Ghana’s entry into the information age would require the extension of access to ICTs to all sectors of the economy. For example, how can the health, education, agriculture, tourism, trade and industry etc, flourish without the deployment of ICT applications?

And how can this feat be achieved if the majority of our people remain not only illiterate but computer illiterate at that? To deal with this situation, “Pillar 8” of the Ghana ICT4ACD) requires that the digital gap between the rural and urban centres in the country must be bridged.  One of the strategies outlined in the “Pillar 8” Concept is to establish Community Information Centres in all the 230 electoral constituencies in the country.

In simple terms, the Community Information Concept is an innovation for community literacy and ICT connectivity. The strategy is to take ICT very close to the door steps of rural, deprived and underserved communities, especially the youth so that they can all benefit from computer literacy programme regardless of their geographical locations in the country. It was against this backdrop that ‘the one child-one computer’ initiative came into being in this country. This is why the recent distribution of over 60,000 computers to some basic schools in the country by the Ministry of Education is very, very commendable.

Since 2003 when the ICT4AD policy came into being, efforts have been made by successive governments to implement the CICs concept. The Ministry of Communications through GIFEC has been putting relevant ICT infrastructure in various districts for the establishment of CICs in general. 

Specifically, in 2007, the then Minister for Information and National Orientation, Mrs. Oboshie Sai Cofie, inaugurated two CICs pilot projects at Dodowa, Dagme West District, and Great Accra Region and at Saltpond, Mfantseman Municipal Assembly in the Central Region. These were the very first CICs that the Ministry of Information was actively involved in terms of content development and management in collaboration with the Ministry of Communications with the support of United Nations Development Programme UNDP.

In 2011, over three years after the establishment of the Dodowa and Saltpond CICs Pilot Projects, this writer, as part of his dissertation for B.A. Communication Studies at the Ghana Institute of Journalism (GIJ), decided to undertake a study to evaluate the performance the two CICs Pilot Projects.

The basic objective of the study was to find out whether the CICs were achieving the purpose for their creation in terms of bridging the digital divide between the urban and rural communities. The result of the study was very interesting. Space will not permit us in an article of this nature to go into detail. 

Suffice it to say that the two Pilot Projects were performing far below capacity. The simple reason was that the State is yet to provide the necessary resources both human and material for these CICs to perform to full capacity.

 For instance, one major challenge thwarting the effective operation of the Centres is lack of constant power supply. Electricity supply to these vital Centres for national development is as regular as the rain-fall-patterns   in the desert. And the respective Municipal and District Assemblies are yet to provide stand by Generating Plants to the Centres. The result is the frequent break-downs of the ICT equipment at the Centres. 

 Just to mention the root cause of their infrastructure problems and based on data collected scientific and empirical evidence indicate that if this problem can be fixed all other things will take care of themselves.

 Even though both centres have Internet connectivity the study showed that the network system is rather slow to the annoyance of CICs Users. The national backbone system, within the frame work of E-Ghana Project must expedite action to reach the rural communities without delay. 

In terms of services delivery, basic computer literacy training programmes for the rural youth at the CICs is on course. At least, Saltpond CIC has 44 computers and one server which is commendable, as against only 10 computers and one server at Dodowa CIC.  One thing that the study revealed, which was gratifying was the fact that the CIC Managers have been fully integrated into the MMDAs main stream of administration. At the moment, their salaries are guaranteed. This was not the case in 2007 when the pilot project were inaugurated.

The research further revealed that out of several online services delivery such as online Birth Certificate, online Driver’s License, online Passport and others which were supposed to be done at the CICs for the benefit of the rural dwellers, only one was being provided at both Dodowa and Saltpond. This is the access of West Africa Examination Results online by students in rural communities. And the study has established that this single online service was the most cherished by respondents who took part in the research.

For instance, respondents in Saltpond stated that but for the CIC in their community, they would have to be travelling to Cape Coast, a distance of about 23km to check their exam results on the Internet.  This fact alone is a testimony that the concept of CICs is feasible, viable and must be made accessible and affordable for the benefit of the rural majority of our nation. The study has proved that if the MMDAs can invest in the CICs, the Internet facility alone would  be a major source of internal revenue generation for the Assemblies.

As we speak, GIFEC is embarking on ICT expansion revolution by distributing computers to almost all state institutions including the Prison Service. And it was in the course of this national service that three of its staff met their untimely death recently in the Northern Region. Such dedicated citizens who lost their lives in the course of their official duties must but be recognized and national monuments instituted in their memories whether they were drivers or labourers.

 I suggest that the officers who died in the course of serving the nation,  must be declared national heroes and all national honours bestowed upon them posthumously without discrimination. That is, whether they were drivers or labourers, they died while on an official duty. Ghana’s 1992 Republican Constitution abhors discrimination against citizens of the nation.

Records at GIFEC show that CICs have been established in various Districts in all the ten  Regions of the country and are at various stages of progress. 

  In the  Ashanti Region, out of 27 Districts, 11 of the number  have their CICs completed; 10  are equipped with ICT infrastructure and all 10 of them are connected to the Internet as at December, 2010.

In the Brong Ahafo, of 22 Districts, 11 have their CICs completed; 8 equipped with ICT infrastructure and all  8 connected to the Internet facility as at last year.

  With regard  to the Central Region, out of 17 Districts, 11 have their CICs completed with 10 of them equipped with ICT infrastructure and 8 enjoying Internet connectivity.

In the Eastern Region, of 21 Districts, 11 so far have their CICs completed with 9 of them equipped with CIC infrastructure with 8 connected to the Internet as well.

The Great Accra Region has 10 Districts, out which 3 have their CICs completed and all 3 equipped with ICT infrastructure but  2 are connected to the Internet so far. (It seems to me that the case of Greater Accra is unique because, it is largely cosmopolitan and almost of giant telecommunication operators have their headquarters in this Region and ICT infrastructure can be found everywhere anyway). The focus of the project is rural communities and so Ga rural must receive attention.

In the Northern Region, out of 20 Districts, 7 have their CICs completed and all the 7 have ICT infrastructure and all 7 connected to the Internet. 

Moving to the Upper East Region, records show that out of 9 Districts, 8 of them have their CICs in place and 7 have CIT infrastructure with all 7 enjoying Internet facility.

In the Upper West Region, of 9 Districts, 14 have their CICs completed; 10 CICs are equipped with ICT infrastructure and all 10 of them connected to the Internet facility.

The Volta Region has 18 Districts out of which, 9 have their CICs completed, with 7 of them equipped with ICT infrastructure and 6 currently envying  Internet connectivity.

Finally, in the Western Region, of 17 Districts, 9 of them have their CICs completed as at December, 2010;  9 of them  have their CICs are equipped with ICT infrastructure and 8 of them connected to the Internet.

In summary, out of 170 Districts nationwide, 91 of the have their CICs completed as at December, 2010. 80 CICs are equipped with ICT infrastructure; out of which 74 have Internet connectivity.  If GIFEC continues with this technological revolution, Ghana will sooner than later  be launched on the global space of Science and Technology Kingdom!