The Power of "I'm Sorry"

Day Starter:

The power of telling someone 'I'm sorry' is well beyond the two short words.

The words also say, 'I take ownership of my actions.' They say, 'I care about your feelings.' They say, 'I want things to be better.' They say, 'I've thought about what I said/did/didn't do and decided my pride is less important than truth.'

It takes courage to say 'I'm sorry,' but seizing the opportunity is cathartic and always leads to inner peace, regardless of the external response to the apology.

Apologizing is about the action of stepping up to the plate, not about anticipating the response.

Today, if you need to tell someone in your life 'I'm sorry,' do so grounded in right action and welcome the serenity that flows from that right action."

 

source: galtime.com

Using Your Sixth Sense to Stay Safe

I live in Boston and I can tell you that no one in this city ever wants to see an unattended black backpack again. I imagine the rest of the world feels the same. So, imagine this. About a week ago, my pals and I were in a very crowded, hip, new Beantown restaurant. At the bar area we all saw an orphaned black backpack,  thinking, “Nooo, please no! It can’t be.” We kind of panicked. We asked everyone around us while pointing to the bag, “Is that your backpack? Is this your backpack?”  No one claimed it.  Then we had a dilemma. Do we call the police, which would result in the entire place being evacuated? Do we tell the manager? Do we do nothing and assume it must have been left by someone who had too many margaritas?

We ended up alerting the management, who decided to place the backpack behind the receptionist's table. Lucky employee. Ever since that evening, I’ve been haunted by this situation. Nothing blew up, thankfully, but how do you balance over-reacting to something that could potentially be dangerous with under-reacting and regretting it? I consulted with Phrantceena Halres, a leading national security and public safety expert. She recommends people tune into their Sixth Sense. “That helps them detect, anticipate, and plan for danger in advance of it happening.”

 

Photo courtesy: Martin Belliveau

So how the heck do you develop your spidey senses to trigger your inner Zen something may be amiss? Halres advises not to worry, we all have it. "'Sixth' Sense, in essence, is another one of our human senses, which we already possess. People innately know when something is wrong, dangerous or just 'off' , and in those situations it's imperative to take action rather than just brushing it off.  This is what 'Sixth Sense' is.”

Halres has some very smart advice: Evaluate each person and each situation. “We need to look at each other as individuals, not as groups, committees, nations or populations. With this awareness, and starting at the grass roots of the individual, this is how we become aware and prevent America's threats.”

Why we are insecure about relationships

Insecurities. We’ve all got ‘em. The million dollar question is, is it possible to get rid of them? Although most of us will probably never be completely insecurity-free, I believe that it is possible to work toward a goal of reducing our insecurities. First, we have to pinpoint where they stem from.

Your insecurities may be the cause of one simple comment made by a schoolmate. Or, maybe a “loved one” voiced a critique that has stayed with you no matter how hard you’ve tried to shake it. For me, many of my insecurities are a result of my relationship with my father.

I grew up with a father who assured me that I’d never be good enough. He also cemented into my head that I was a mistake and that I ruined his life. After my father was through with me, my first husband continued feeding my insecurities with comments that told me that I should have been better than I was. Whether he was comparing me to my friends, the wives of men that he worked with, or any other woman, I always fell short of the person he felt I should be.

Whose Problem is it Anyway?

I now know that the people who went out of their way to bring me down are the ones who have the insecurities, not me. My father and my first husband made themselves feel better by making me feel “less than.”

Take a look at your life, your insecurities, and ask yourself “Did I get here on my own?” Is each self-criticism something that you truly do not like about yourself, or are your insecurities the result of the unkind words or actions of someone else? The majority of my insecurities were rooted in me by someone else. They are not mine to own, nor do I allow them power in my life any longer.

Make a list for yourself. Write down all of the positives that you like about yourself. Make a list of the negatives, too. Then, as you are reading the good and the bad, ask yourself, ”Is this truly how I feel, or has someone made me feel this way?”

Keep the positives on your list; they work for your better good. But, if you come across a negative that started from someone else's actions or words, then it's not yours to own. Get rid of it.

Analyzing and owning (or not owning) your positives and negatives is not an easy process, but it’s also not as hard as you may think. Every day, take steps to rid yourself of any and all negativity by reinforcing the belief that you are strong, beautiful, loved, and important. Anything other than positive thoughts have no place in your life, so I want you to reject all negatives as soon as you possibly can.

Fill yourself with your chosen positive thoughts every single day. Plant your seed, water it, and watch it grow. The more you believe in yourself, the less power others have over you and your future. You control your thought process. You control what you allow to take root in your life. Do the work, get rid of the bad, and start your life as you want it.

Take the first step. The results will be more than worth it!

Source: Galtime.com

Financial, family woes of Winnie Mandela, South Africa's 'Mother of the Nation'

"This shouldn't be happening" -- these were the words of a visibly nervous and frustrated sheriff of the court as he rang the outside bell and knocked at the gate belonging to a woman still considered by many in South Africa as the "mother of the nation."

Joe Maluleke and two other officials arrived at Winnie Mandela's house in Soweto on Tuesday to execute a court order granting a Johannesburg school permission to auction her belongings and pay an old debt. Among the goods meant to go under the hammer were 50 paintings, a round table, chairs and a silver tea set.

The problems started when the ex-wife of Nelson Mandela, the country's first black president and an international icon, registered her great niece, Nobantu Vutela, as a boarding student at Abbotts College in Northcliff, Johannesburg, according to court papers filed in 2008.

The accommodation fees for the year were 40,000 South African rand -- the equivalent of about $4,000 today. Winnie Mandela, 76, who earns an annual salary of around $90,000, as a member of parliament, was given six months to pay the full amount. It's unclear why she and not the girl's own parents enrolled her into the private school.

Winnie keeps to herself, but we still call her 'mother of the nation' and no-one wants to see her humiliated
Neighbor of Winnie Mandela

Despite the documents stipulating that R10,000 ($1000) be paid up front, lawyers representing the school say Mrs Mandela never paid a cent. They started instituting proceedings against her in October 2008. The case dragged on for five years. A lawyer acting on behalf of the school told CNN Mrs Mandela made her first payment last year but that she still owes nearly $5,000 with interest included. Mrs Mandela's lawyer is disputing the interest amount.

With dozens of journalists surrounding him, not a single bidder in sight, and Mrs Mandela's bodyguards stationed on the other side of the wall, Sheriff Maluleke knocked in vain. People could be seen moving around inside and outside the house, but nobody came out to let the sheriff in. At one point a car sped out of the premises using a side entrance. It is unclear who was in the car.

Maluleke was instructed by lawyers to get a locksmith and force his way into Mandela's house, but he was understandably reluctant. At one point a spectator shouted, "Why don't you climb over the wall?" The sheriff's irritated retort: "And get shot at?"

The tense standoff lasted for about two hours. Maluleke left Winnie Mandela's property empty-handed and dejected. He later admitted that the task he was expected to carry out was a difficult one. "Is it because she is the mother of the nation?" he was asked. "Exactly," he responded.

Read this: How South Africa avoided 'bloody racial war'

Outrage at pictures of ailing Mandela

2012: Nelson Mandela's early years

Nelson Mandela's family wine venture

Celebrating Mandela at 94

On Monday night Winnie Mandela's lawyer Yandisa Dudula had been frantically trying to stop the auction from going ahead.

"Mrs. Mandela has given me a check for R16,000 ($1,696), and another R4,000 ($212) has been given to the sheriff," he told CNN. "The auction is not necessary."

The school's lawyers insisted on getting the money in cash, failing which, they said the sale of her goods would go ahead as planned.

Confused neighbors looked on as the spectacle at Mandela's property unfolded.

"We thought she had money, it is very surprising that her goods are now having to be auctioned in order to recoup funds for a debt," one of them told CNN.

When asked what it is like to live next door "the mother of the nation," the neighbor said, "We never see her. When the old man (Nelson Mandela) lived in Soweto he would walk around, shake people's hands, greet and talk to them, he even invited us into his home."

"Winnie keeps to herself, but we still call her 'mother of the nation' and no-one wants to see her humiliated," the neighbor said.

Commentators say Winnie Mandela has become increasingly isolated, not only by her political family, the ruling African National Congress, but seemingly by her biological family as well.

"Internal tensions within the family could have played a role in no one coming to Mrs Mandela's aid," political analyst Somadoda Fikeni told CNN. "The family is fragmented and recent squabbles over money have further emphasized these divisions."

Two of Nelson Mandela's daughters -- Makaziwe Mandela and Zenani Dlamini -- are currently embroiled in a legal battle over the former political prisoner's money. They have filed court papers in an attempt to remove Mandela's longtime lawyer and friend, 84-year-old George Bizos, and others as directors of companies owned by the Mandela Trust.

The children's legal battle over their iconic father's monies has come under heavy criticism in South Africa. Bizos told local media the lawsuit is "a ploy to resuscitate the sale of Mandela's artworks" whose proceeds go to the companies at the center of the dispute.

The Mandela family is fragmented and recent squabbles over money have further emphasized these divisions
Somadoda Fikeni

Andrew Mlangeni, who was incarcerated on Robben Island with Mr Mandela, told CNN: "This is a matter that should have been resolved internally within the family."

Makaziwe recently rebutted accusations that her intentions are motivated by greed, telling the New York Times: "This issue that we are greedy, that we are wanting this money before my dad passes away is all nonsense."

The feud over Nelson Mandela's millions and now the threat of an auction at his former wife's residence underscore the contradictions and complexities in what many consider South Africa's political "royal family."

Read this: Big brands target South Africa's middle class

This is by no means Winnie Mandela's first brush with the law, although for years many saw her as untouchable.

The former freedom fighter was implicated in the 1980s murder of 14-year-old anti-apartheid activist Stompie Seipei. Her then-husband, Nelson Mandela, stood by her, despite a mountain of damning evidence. In 1991 she was convicted of kidnapping Seipei and for being an accessory to assault, but her six-year jail term was reduced on appeal to a fine and a suspended sentence.

In 2003 Mrs Mandela was convicted for theft and fraud in connection with an elaborate bank loan scheme where the ANC party letterhead was used to obtain loans for bogus employees including her youngest daughter Zinzi. The conviction carried a jail term, but that sentence too was suspended.

A few months ago police confirmed that they have reopened the murder case of two more former freedom fighters, allegedly last seen at her house more than 20 years ago. Their bodies were exhumed in March.

Musical tribute to Nelson Mandela

Securing the release of Nelson Mandela

Securing the release of Nelson Mandela

From prison number to fashion line

In recent years, "the mother of the nation's" influence in the country and within the ruling party has waned, and the protection she once enjoyed along with it. Last year she was voted second-last in the party's national executive committee. She had been top of the list at the previous ANC conference in 2007.

Still, respected columnist and journalist Justice Malala says he is astonished Winnie Mandela couldn't get help from a single one of her former comrades.

Malala told CNN: "It's great that she was paying for her great niece's school fees but I'm surprised that firstly she didn't feel she could raise the money from her own salary and secondly that no-one in the ANC was willing to help her. She could have also approached the Mandela Trust. Mandela has given money to president Jacob Zuma before when he was in trouble."

Perhaps the most astonishing part of the tale is why her children and grandchildren appear to have stood by and watched as threats of an auction became more serious.

Two of her grandchildren, Zaziwe and Swati Dlamini have recently launched a reality show in the U.S. called "Being Mandela." They also have a clothing line named "Long Walk to Freedom" after their grandfather's autobiography. Their mother Zenani Dlamini, Winnie's eldest daughter, is South Africa's ambassador to Argentina.

Despite the family's many ventures and connections, Winnie's lawyer says money isn't always readily available.

Winnie Mandela has often courted controversy, but she is still adored by many in South Africa.

She endured years of torture, torment, banishment and imprisonment by the apartheid regime while fighting resolutely for racial equality in the country.

And despite her legal and financial troubles over the years, very few South Africans are celebrating her downfall. Many of them took to Twitter to express their solidarity. "We cannot forget Winnie Mandela who stood tall for three decades" wrote one person.

CNN

Everest crowds: The world's highest traffic jam

Six decades after it was conquered, mountaineers complain that the summit of Mount Everest has become virtually gridlocked with climbers. How did the world's highest mountain become so congested?

In May 1953 Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay stood alone together at the very top of the world.

Nowadays, the same spot is rather less desolate.

Thanks to advances in mountaineering equipment and the indefatigable efforts of Sherpa guides, more climbers than ever are reaching the peak of Mount Everest - a landmark that was once believed to be impossible to surmount.

According to National Geographic, in 1990 18% of summit attempts were successful. By 2012 that figure stood at 56%.

But this has come at a cost. Critics say the summit has become as congested as a five-lane motorway during bank holiday weekend.

On a single day in 2012, no fewer than 234 climbers reached the peak. By contrast, as recently as 1983 the most successful ascents in a single day was eight, and a decade later that figure stood at 40.

This year some complained of waiting two-and-a-half hours in queues at bottlenecks on their way to the summit.

A striking photograph by German mountaineer Ralf Dujmovits - which showed a queue hundreds-long snaking its way up during 2012 - ignited a debate about whether the procession was ruining enjoyment of the ascent.

Westerners can pay anything from $10,000 (£6,600) to $100,000 (£66,000) for permits to climb the mountain and guides to accompany them, and a sizeable tourist industry has sprung up around the base - bringing with it complaints about litter and poor sanitation for miles around.

"There were just people everywhere," says Ayisha Jessa, 31, a keen climber from London who recently visited Everest's base camp. At the nearby village of Namachi, she says, "it's completely commercialised - everything is intended for the Western traveller".

For many serious climbers, all this has served to devalue Everest.

"It isn't a wilderness experience - it's a McDonald's experience," says Graham Hoyland, an experienced mountaineer and author of The Last Hours on Everest, an account of the ill-fated 1924 ascent by George Mallory and Andrew Irvine.

Advances in weather forecasting mean climbers time their attempts to the same few days each year, worsening the bottlenecks. A better understanding of altitude sickness has also helped more mountaineers ascend 8,848m (29,029ft) to the summit.

For their financial outlay, Westerners are given a plentiful supply of oxygen and, very often, a Nepalese mountain guide assigned specifically to ensure they get to the top.

The tour parties also ascend using fixed ropes, which help less accomplished climbers but are believed by many elite mountaineers to detract from the sport.

Thanks to all this assistance, more than 3,000 individuals have scaled the mountain since 1953.

They include Californian Jordan Romero, who in 2010 became the youngest person to climb Everest aged 13, and 80-year old Yuichiro Miura from Japan, who set the most recent record for the oldest summiteer. An 81-year-old, Nepalese Min Bahadur Sherchan, is attempting to snatch Miura's title.

"Normally, as long as they are not too ill or too weak, nearly everyone - if they have enough money and patience - can get up Everest," says Eberhard Jurgalski, who has attempted to chronicle every Everest ascent since 1953.

"Also, if the weather hasn't been good for a few weeks it becomes much more crowded on the days you can climb."

Some worry that the influx of inexperienced climbers on to such potentially hazardous terrain could have tragic consequences.

"You have people going up there who don't know how to operate the ropes or use the crampons," says Hoyland. "There's a huge disaster waiting to happen."

In 1996, eight people died within 36 hours near the summit. In 2012, some 10 lives were lost on the mountain, three of them Sherpas.

So it's not surprising that tensions have built up.

According to Hoyland, experienced climbers have grown frustrated that long queues of amateurs using fixed ropes are slowing them down.

Tempers on the mountain boiled over in April when a scuffle broke out at 7,470m (24,500ft) between two well-known European climbers, Ueli Steck and Simone Moro, and a group of Nepalese mountain guides.

While complaints are still made about litter and human waste on the mountain, a series of clean-up expeditions have improved the environmental situation, Hoyland says.

But as Nepalese authorities face calls to take further action, proposals to remedy Everest's congestion have sharply divided climbers.

One expedition company has suggested installing a ladder at the Hillary Step, a rocky outcrop just before the summit, where only one person can go up or down at any one time. But purists complain this would lessen the challenge of scaling the mountain.

Another proposed solution would be to limit the number of climbers. Until 1985, the Nepalese authorities allowed only one expedition on each route to the summit at any one time, and in theory this practice could be revived.

Others suggest, candidates for a permit could be required to undergo training or at least demonstrate mountaineering experience. "If everyone going up had at least a little bit of an idea about the culture of climbing, that would make a big difference," says Hoyland.

But the notion of imposing quotas sits uneasily with many in the free-spirited world of mountaineering.

Sir Chris Bonnington, who reached the summit aged 50 in 1985, says he is grateful that he was there at a time when crowds were restricted.

However, while he believes there is much that can be done to improve Everest's management, he feels uneasy with the idea of denying to others the opportunity he enjoyed.

"If you say there are only 100 or 200 people coming each year, that's a lot of people who will never be able to share the incredible personal experience of getting to the top of the mountain," Sir Chris says.

Restricting the number of visitors would also have a major impact on those who rely on tourism for their income.

"It's a mountain that people live on, and the local community is completely supported by the climbers," says Jessa.

The debate will rumble on. And as long as the memory of Hillary and Norgay's achievement persists, the crowds will keep coming.

 

BBC

Liberty Reserve digital money service forced offline

Liberty Reserve - a Costa Rican-based digital currency service - has been shut down after the reported arrest of its founder.

Authorities in the Central American country said Arthur Budovsky had been taken into custody in Spain on suspicion of money laundering, following an investigation which also involved the US.

They added that police had raided several of Mr Budovsky's properties and seized his computer servers.

The site went offline on Thursday.

Liberty Reserve had described itself as being the internet's "oldest, safest and most popular payment processor... serving millions all around a world".

It had allowed users to open accounts and transfer money, only requiring them to provide a name, date of birth and an email address.

Cash could be put into the service using a credit card, bank wire, postal money order or other money transfer service. It was then "converted" into one of the firm's own currencies - mirroring either the Euro or US dollar - at which point it could be transferred to another account holder who could then extract the funds.

The service promised that payment transfers were "instantaneous" and it charged a maximum of $2.99 (£1.98) for each transaction. It also offered a private messaging facility which it said was "much more private and secure than email or instant messenger services".

Security expert Bryan Krebs said Liberty Reserve's features had made it a popular among cybercriminals who wanted to move funds and make payments anonymously.

However, others said they had used the service for legitimate means, viewing it as a cheaper alternative to PayPal. They fear they will now lose money still sitting in its accounts.

Refused licence

Costa Rica state prosecutor Jose Pablo Gonzalez announced news of the raids on Saturday. He said that in addition to Mr Budovsky's arrest, 10 other suspects were being investigated in connection with international money laundering.

Mr Gonzalez said that Costa Rica's financial regulator, Sugef, had refused to issue a licence to Liberty Reserve in 2011 after raising concerns about how it was being funded.

Although the company Liberty Reserve subsequently closed and dismissed its employees, the prosecutor said Mr Budovsky had continued operating his money exchange service by running it through five other Costa Rican businesses.

The same year, he said, New York based officials asked Costa Rica to investigate.

Mr Gonzalez said offices and houses linked to Mr Budovsky had been raided last week, and that documents and three vehicles - including a Rolls Royce - were seized.

The US Department of Justice's website says that in 2006 Mr Budovsky was found guilty of operating a separate illegal money transmittal business - GoldAge - from a Brooklyn apartment when he used to live in New York.

However, when asked about the latest arrest, a spokeswoman said she could "not provide any guidance" at this time.

The BBC has also asked the Spanish police for more details.

Lost money

According to Mr Krebs' security blog, the closure of Liberty Reserve has the potential to "cause a major upheaval in the cybercrime economy".

He said there had been "anxious discussions" about the news on several internet forums after fraudsters and malware sellers found themselves unable to access their accounts.

But others say they used the service for legitimate reasons, and are concerned about the lack of information.

They include Mitver Holdings, the firm behind a facility called ePay Cards. This allows consumers outside the US to buy goods from stores in the country as if they owned a locally-issued Visa or Mastercard credit card.

The company - which has offices in London and Texas - used Liberty Reserve as a way for its customers to charge up their "virtual credit cards".

Co-founder Mitchell Rossetti said he had about $28,000 sitting in his business's Liberty Reserve account at the time the site went offline.

"We used Liberty Reserve because it was quick, efficient and secure," he told the BBC.

"Now, we - and thousands of others who were dependent on it - have been left with nothing to look at except a blank webpage, and nothing more to go on than reports from the Costa Rican press.

"We need to know if our assets have been seized and what would be the requirements to get the funds returned."

 

BBC

Malnutrition affects school performance among children

A quarter of the world's children are at risk of underperforming at school because of chronic malnutrition, says UK charity Save the Children.
Missing out on a nutritious diet could severely damage a child's ability to read and write, it said.
The study found that malnourished children suffered irreversible damage; they grew up smaller and weaker, and their brains might not develop fully.
The charity said tackling malnutrition should be a priority for G8 leaders.
They will meet in Northern Ireland next month.
The report - Food for Thought - is based on studies of thousands of children in Ethiopia, India, Peru and Vietnam.
Their study suggests that children aged eight who are stunted due to malnutrition were 19% more likely to make mistakes reading a simple sentence like "the sun is hot" or "I like dogs" than those with a balanced diet.
They could earn as much as 20% less in adulthood, and the global economic impact of malnutrition could be up to $125bn (£83bn), Save the Children said.
Nutrition summit
"Poor nutrition is driving a literacy and numeracy crisis in developing countries, and is also a huge barrier to further progress in tackling child deaths," said Jasmine Whitbread, Save the Children International's Chief Executive.
"A quarter of the world's children are suffering the effects of chronic malnutrition, putting millions of young lives at risk."
The UK government is holding a special nutrition summit in London on June 8, ahead of the main G8 gathering, which is expected to look at issues such as food security and the need for more African countries to have their own national nutrition plans.
World leaders attending that summit must "face this crisis and tackle the scourge of malnutrition for good", said Ms Whitbread.

Source: BBC

Fire guts parts of Makola market

Some portions of the Makola market opposite the Ghana Law School in Accra have been guttered by fire.
The inferno which occurred on the dawn of Saturday destroyed about 46 shops.
It was unclear what caused the fire outbreak but the affected area has been cordoned off for investigations to be conducted by state institutions in charge.
Deputy Minister for Interior, James Agalga visited the scene on a fact finding mission and has directed the investigative bodies to fast track their investigations.
Mr. Agalga appealed to the affected persons to cooperate with the security agencies in their investigations.
He pledged government’s steadfastness to implement the recommendations of the investigative bodies to curtail such disasters if they are found to be man-made in nature.
The Deputy Interior Minister bemoaned the rate at which the firestorms were occurring in recent times particularly at major markets in the nation’s capital and reiterated government’s commitment to protect people’s properties in the various markets.
He commended the Ghana Fire Service and the Police for their timely intervention in putting off the fire.
Greater Accra regional police Crime Officer, Superintendent Frank Adufati explained to Citi News how the investigations will be conducted saying, “from the investigative point of view we are going to do the underground work that is the intelligent aspect to nose around and find out if these firebreaks are caused by human beings”.
According to him, the crime scene team from the Police Headquarters will then follow up with the physical examination and come out with their findings.
Superintendent Adufati gave the assurance that those found culpable will be dealt with to serve as a deterrent to others who might be harbouring such evil intentions.
In a related development, some traders at the Kantamanto market who are still counting their losses have accused the Accra Metropolitan Assembly authorities of aggravating their plight.
A combined team of Police and the AMA task force on Sunday destroyed some temporary structures that were springing up in the open space of the heartbroken Kantamanto market.
The aggrieved traders accused the city authorities of breach of contract since according to them, the Chief of Staff, Prosper Bannie gave them the go ahead to put up such temporary structures until such a time government will be ready to modernize the market.

By: Abdul Karim Naatogmah/citifmonline.com/Ghana

Fire Service, DVLA make IMANI’s '5 most Inspirational Public Sector Leaders' in Ghana

IMANI Ghana expends so much energy and effort on scrutinizing the work of public sector institutions because unlike some other observers we do not believe that a significant transformation of this country can be possible without a root, stem and branch overhaul of the public sector.
Our constant criticism of the conduct of certain public institutions is therefore the result of disappointment rather than scorn. We believe strongly that were these institutions to be offered strong leadership and direction so that they can focus on rule of law, competent and minimal bureaucracy, and the transparent provision of public goods, such as security of life and property, sound regulation and the enforcement of quality standards, Ghana would be much better off.
To be candid, without strong public sector leadership, the rusty mantra of ‘private sector as the engine of growth’ will remain just that: a tired slogan.
It is not only that weak public sector leadership forgoes opportunities for growth and development, it actually also gets in the way of private sector and civil society and undermines the efforts of entrepreneurs, innovators and changemakers of all hues.
However, basic human psychology is such that scrutiny and criticism alone are not sufficient springs of good conduct. Measured, and purposeful, praise can sometimes be used to even more powerful effect to motivate those on the right path, to shine a light on positive developments, to erect powerful role models for the guidance of the rest of society, and to serve as a sharp contrast to beahaviours considered detrimental to the country’s progress.
That is why we launched our ‘Top 5 Public Leaders of the Year’ list in 2010.
Since focusing on this issue over the last 3 years, of what is it that makes some leaders in the state sector adopt a transformational posture while others fail, we have learnt a lot about the challenges such leaders face in maintaining the course of reform.
Some of the leaders we selected for inclusion in the early recognition lists have since then been unable to resist the lure of mediocrity. But that was to be expected. The Top 5 list is not a ‘lifetime achievement index’. It is an advocacy tool to support on-going reform and to boost the stature of those pursuing those reforms in the here and now. It is unashamedly current in its emphasis and agenda.
Should we change this approach?
Certainly not in this 2012 edition of the Top 5 List. We are still convinced that rather than make this an ‘awards program’, it should continue in its current nature as an advocacy tool, to fuel reforms facing resistance, and to bolster the position of those engaged in a transformational agenda, thus spurring wider reform of the public sector.
So, distinguished readers, there you have it: the 2012 Top 5 Most Inspirational Public Sector Leaders.
Top IMANI
(The full methodology is published in the version of the report that appears on the IMANI and AfricanLiberty.org websites after the embargo date.)
1. Professor Joshua Alabi - Vice Chancellor, University of Professional Studies, Accra (UPSA)
Barely a year ago, Parliament passed the University of Professional Studies Act. What was then the Institute of Professional Studies was overnight admitted into the prestigious ranks of the country’s public universities.
This could have been the highlight of Professor Alabi’s tenure at the Institute. He had been appointed three and a half years prior to the change of status, and had been responsible for shepherding the process past sceptical Parliamentarians from all sides of the political divide worried about the ‘lack of focus on core mandate’ that has become the bane of many of Ghana’s public universities.
But Professor Alabi, whose first term of office came to an end in January of this year, can point to more than one highlight in his term. Having worked for about two decades prior to his appointment to the position of Rector, he demonstrated very early on a keen eye for spotting the institute’s assets and unique value propositions. As a specialist school in accounting and management, he immediately realised that the institute had a competitive edge over the traditional science and humanities universities in Ghana that were busy piling up courses in business disciplines. He charged into the business education space with a vengeance, investing appropriately in facilities and adjunct faculty to capture a new customer base, those eager to set up on their own. This freed the University from the excessive reliance on the pool of public servants looking for promotion, a pool fiercely targeted by the likes of Legon and GIMPA.
UPSA’s post-graduate program is steadily rising in stature, and more courses are passing successfully under the sharp scalpel of the National Accreditation Board. This year, IMANI believes that Professor Joshua Alabi deserves the top spot in its public sector rankings for his quiet, sturdy, and persistent focus on utilising the resources of UPS with a shrewd emphasis on returns and a long-term goal of sustainable excellence. Given the fiscal recklessness we have seen in parts of the public sector this year, this attitude is worth celebrating.
There is of course more to do at UPSA. Curriculum design could receive more attention. Institutional governance could do with a facelift. Student welfare and alumni relations can still be improved, but all in all, comparing the present with what Professor Alabi came to meet, we can confidently applaud him for remarkable leadership in the face of general constraints.
2. The Graphic Communications Group
With its household-name brands, such as the Daily Graphic and the Weekend Mirror, the Graphic Communications Group has long been a prominent fixture of the country’s media landscape. But rarely have Ghanaians paused to consider the management and systems excellence responsible for the staying power of these publications.
Despite fierce competition in the heavily depressed packaging industry in Ghana, Graphic Packaging, the Group’s industrial arm, managed to reduce year on year losses by over 90% during the last financial year for which independently audited results are available.
Graphic Communications has shown consistently that it has one of the most advanced internal controls and preventive structures among corporate organisations in the country by regularly presenting robust accounts to internal and external auditors. For a public corporation, this dedication to world-class corporate governance is remarkable, and certainly commendable. For this reason the Group takes second spot on our 2012 rankings.
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Given all the hassle Ghanaians go through at our ports due to arbitrary and chaotic clearance procedures, despite years of costly IT-based and other reforms, it will come to some as a surprise that the winner of the third slot on our 2012 Public Sector rankings is someone from the country’s maritime leadership.
But it is precisely because we want to fix the spotlight on these unacceptable conditions at our ports - the corruption, inefficiency, arbitrariness, abuse of discretion, weak systems, etc. - that we want to acknowledge Dr. Kofi Mbiah as one of the few individuals working to bring some decency into maritime trade affairs in this country.
While the GSA does not play a major role in the more chaotic part of the sector: the goods clearance process, since it is primarily an executive agency representing the interests of cargo handlers and shippers, nevertheless, the GSA’s drive, under Dr. Mbiah’s leadership, to introduce technical and service quality standards stands out like a beacon on the shores of troubled waters.
4. The Driver & Vehicles Licensing Authority
The DVLA wins the fourth spot in this year’s rankings primarily because of success in one major reform: the outsourcing of some of the vehicle assessment and testing processes to more efficient external garages, a development that has in no mean fashion eased the horrendous burden placed on motorists in this country in complying with our rickety road traffic regulations.
The current DVLA deserves to be acknowledged for taking this bold step after years of foot-dragging at the agency on outsourcing matters. A lot remains to be done to improve those functions that the agency still performs, such as license plate registration. Motorists cannot continue to be the butt of weak service standards.
But the successful outsourcing effort shows clearly what can be done when public sector activities are professionalised. The hope in highlighting this here is that other agencies, such as the Passport Office, will take note.
5.The Frontline Personnel of the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS)
Despite persisting weaknesses in Ghana’s fire management system, frontline staff of the Ghana National Fire Service continue to risk their lives daily to fight the infernos raging across Ghana in sharp succession.
With limited gear and equipment, despite recent additions to the stock, personnel of the Ghana National Fire Service have increasingly shown a regimental discipline in taking on mighty blazes, all the more difficult to manage because of the tropical heat.
Unlike was the case some years ago, response times are almost within acceptable limits for a good proportion of incidents reported. Though GNFS’ personnel must still improvise all the time, diligent observers have recorded an impressive improvement in the tactical approach used by personnel in navigating cramped incident sites as well as in locating sources of water, including in some instances even using private water tankers during moments of desperation.
We believe that this recognition will prompt the management of the service, even as they clamour for more equipment, such as aerial sprinklers, to show a better appreciation of the agency’s human resources, including working harder to address deep and festering concerns such as the on-going tussle over plans to relocate the agency from the Interior Ministry to the Local Government Service.
So that’s that: IMANI’s Top 5 most Inspirational Public Sector Leaders (our heroes and heroines) for 2012.
Some of you would surely be disappointed. But the one thing we can certainly not apologise for is our inability to please every reader of this report. We are also certainly aware of a few organizations that have been working hard according to internally developed benchmarks, some of which accord with our own framework, to improve service delivery.
The newly reformed Export Development & Agricultural Investment Fund comes to mind. As does GIHOC. We urge such organisations to continue moving along the path of reform. Surely, when they begin to show clearer results the blips on our radar screen shall grow stronger.
We deliberately don’t publish a Worst 5 Public Leaders or Institutions List. We feel we do enough though our general advocacy to criticize the public sector and in our own small way to contribute to deterring grave misconduct.
Still we cannot end this report without mentioning how deeply worried we are about some agencies and Ministries, and their shoddy conduct of public affairs. Last year, and not surprising continuing into this year, the following institutions, in descending order of magnitude, broke our hearts, and we suspect those of many Ghanaians.
1. The Ministry of Energy – For its inability to exercise sound leadership and oversight over the sector. It has failed to cogently champion, in the cabinet and elsewhere, the cause of organisations like Ghana Gas that are embarked on difficult and ambitious projects requiring strong coordination across the government to succeed. They have not been able to rein in the opaque and aloof GNPC and to demand greater accountability, especially in connection with the bloated costs and poor performance of the Jubilee project. They have exercised weak strategic leadership in the electricity sector leading to the exacerbation of a chronic power crisis into an acute one. For this and many reasons, the Ministry of Energy has the dubious honour of being the institution that impressed us the LEAST in 2012.
2. Ghana Youth Employment & Entrepreneurial Development Agency – For rampant corruption and a generally chaotic operational model that is leading to a dissipation of resources for very little national gain.
3. Ministry of Works & Housing – For utterly failing to redeem the affordable housing policies of the government, and preferring instead to truck with companies like SNECOU that in every respect are unqualified as strategic partners of the government in such an essential sector. Under the weak leadership of the ministry, one-time champions like the Architectural & Engineering Services Limited (AESL) have been reduced to a pale shadow of their former glory to the point where in some years they can’t even pay the social security contributions of their own staff. Meanwhile, a water shortage crisis continues to cause severe distress in our major towns and cities.
4. The Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions – for thoroughly bungling the prosecutions related to the biggest public sector corruption mess we have ever seen in this country – the Judgment Debts scandals. Not only has the agency been weak and ineffectual in pursuing popular suspects like Alfred Woyome, they have not even made the attempt to work with the investigative agencies to evaluate the role of companies like Waterville and Michelletti, who were clearly implicated in the scandal.
5. National Pensions Regulatory Authority Board – For dily-dallying with the biggest potential transformer of our financial system – the liberalisation of pensions funds management in Ghana.
Insofar as we are picking some worrying signs from long-revered organisations like the Cocobod, our antennae will be sharper in 2013.
We shall continue to watch keenly how leadership dynamics are affecting the development journey of this country, and the role played by public institutions in offering or failing to offer that leadership.
We hope we can count on your continuing interest and support.

 

Source: Ghana [myjoyonline.com]