And I will multiply the number of people upon you,
even the whole house of Israel.
The towns will be inhabited and the ruins rebuilt.
11 I will increase the number of men and animals upon you,
and they will be fruitful and become numerous.
I will settle people on you as in the past and will make you prosper more
than before. Then you will know that I am the LORD.
Ezekiel 36: 10-11
They will possess you
I will cause people, my people Israel, to walk upon you.
They will possess you,
and you will be their inheritance;
you will never again deprive them of their children.
Ezekiel 36: 12
You will no longer make your nation childless
'This is what the Sovereign LORD says:
Because people say to you,
"You devour men and deprive your nation of its children,"
Therefore you will no longer devour men or make your nation childless,
declares the Sovereign LORD.
Ezekiel 36:13-14
No longer will you suffer the scorn of the peoples
No longer will I make you hear the taunts of the nations,
and no longer will you suffer the scorn of the peoples
or cause your nation to fall,
declares the Sovereign LORD.' "
Ezekiel 36: 15
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
Monday, February 15, 2010
I removed his shoulder from the burden
Sing aloud to God our strength; make a joyful shout to the God of Jacob
Raise a song and strike the timbrel, the pleasant harp and the lute
Blow the trumpet at the time of the new moon on our solemn feast day
For this is a statute for Israel, a law of the God of Jacob
This He established in Joseph as a testimony when he went throughout the land of Egypt where I heard a language, I did not understand
I removed his shoulder from the burden;
His hands were freed from the Basket
You called in trouble and I delivered you,
I answered you in the secret place of thunder
I tested you at the waters of Meribah,
There shall be no foreign God among you or shall you;
nor shall you worship any foreign god
Psalm 81:1-9
I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt
I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt,
Open your mouth wide and I will fill it.
But my people will not heed my voice and Israel will have none of me.
So I gave them over to their own stubborn heart to walk in their own counsels
Oh that my people would listen to me, that Israel will walk in my ways
Psalm 81:10-13
He would have fed them also with the finest of wheat; and with honey from the rock
“I would soon subdue their enemies and turn my hands against their adversaries
The haters of the Lord will pretend submission to him, but their fate would endure forever
He would have fed them also with the finest of wheat; and with honey from the rock, I would have satisfied you. “
Psalm 81: 14-16
Oh my God, make them like the whirling
Oh my God, make them like the whirling dust, like the chaff before the wind
As the fire burns the woods and as the flame sets the mountains on fire
So pursue them with your tempest and frighten them with your storm
Fill their faces with shame that they may seek your name Oh Lord.
Psalm 83:13-14
Cause your face to shine upon us and we shall be saved
Restore us Oh God of hosts,
Cause your face to shine upon us and we shall be saved
Psalm 80:7
…who dwell between the cherubim, shine forth
Give ear Oh shepherd of Israel you who led Joseph like a flock
You, who dwell between the cherubim, shine forth \
Psalm 80 :1
Raise a song and strike the timbrel, the pleasant harp and the lute
Blow the trumpet at the time of the new moon on our solemn feast day
For this is a statute for Israel, a law of the God of Jacob
This He established in Joseph as a testimony when he went throughout the land of Egypt where I heard a language, I did not understand
I removed his shoulder from the burden;
His hands were freed from the Basket
You called in trouble and I delivered you,
I answered you in the secret place of thunder
I tested you at the waters of Meribah,
There shall be no foreign God among you or shall you;
nor shall you worship any foreign god
Psalm 81:1-9
I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt
I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt,
Open your mouth wide and I will fill it.
But my people will not heed my voice and Israel will have none of me.
So I gave them over to their own stubborn heart to walk in their own counsels
Oh that my people would listen to me, that Israel will walk in my ways
Psalm 81:10-13
He would have fed them also with the finest of wheat; and with honey from the rock
“I would soon subdue their enemies and turn my hands against their adversaries
The haters of the Lord will pretend submission to him, but their fate would endure forever
He would have fed them also with the finest of wheat; and with honey from the rock, I would have satisfied you. “
Psalm 81: 14-16
Oh my God, make them like the whirling
Oh my God, make them like the whirling dust, like the chaff before the wind
As the fire burns the woods and as the flame sets the mountains on fire
So pursue them with your tempest and frighten them with your storm
Fill their faces with shame that they may seek your name Oh Lord.
Psalm 83:13-14
Cause your face to shine upon us and we shall be saved
Restore us Oh God of hosts,
Cause your face to shine upon us and we shall be saved
Psalm 80:7
…who dwell between the cherubim, shine forth
Give ear Oh shepherd of Israel you who led Joseph like a flock
You, who dwell between the cherubim, shine forth \
Psalm 80 :1
Friday, February 12, 2010
World Bank pledges support for African post-conflict recovery
Goma, 11 August 2009 – The World Bank supports efforts by countries emerging from conflict in Africa to foster good governance and transparency in the natural resources sector that has often fueled violence, World Bank President Robert B. Zoellick said Tuesday after his first visit to the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Pledging World Bank support to demobilization and reintegration programs similar to the one that has helped hundreds of thousands of ex-combatants reintegrate to civilian life in countries of the Great Lakes Region of Africa, Zoellick urged African leaders to do everything to curb the illicit trade in precious metals. The trade funds militia groups and fuels the steady flow in illicit small arms and light weapons that often trigger a relapse into conflict.
“Post-conflict countries face a big risk of falling back into conflict and so we must do everything we can to stop the exploitation of resources becoming a cause of violence,” Zoellick said. “My visit helped me better understand the development challenges of the Democratic Republic of Congo and was intended to reaffirm World Bank support for the country’s efforts to consolidate peace, and transition quickly from emergency assistance to sustainable development,” he added.
During the visit, the first lap in a tour of three African countries, Zoellick held talks with Congolese President Joseph Kabila, the country’s Prime Minister Adolphe Muzito, and key cabinet members whose ministerial departments work directly on World Bank-funded development projects.
During his meetings with President Kabila and Prime Minister Muzito, the World Bank president encouraged the government to sustain efforts to achieve debt forgiveness by reaching the completion point under the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) Initiative in March 2010. This would lighten the burden of debt servicing and create the fiscal space that could help DR Congo fund crucial social and economic development programs, notably infrastructure investments.
Commending the government of DR Congo for adopting a Governance Contract in 2007, Zoellick encouraged the country to stay the course of the difficult but rewarding reforms needed to achieve good governance objectives. He notably pointed to the need for the government to complete the ongoing review of mining contracts in a way that safeguards the country’s aim of increasing revenue as well as that of investors, making the sector more attractive to private investors.
Zoellick also held discussions with diplomats, representatives of the donor community, the private sector and civil society. “I learned a lot from my discussions with them and got a chance to hear, first hand, what we need to do to ensure improved donor coordination as we work together to promote the social and economic development of this country,” said Zoellick.
Zoellick visited the Inga hydropower plant in Bas Congo and promised World Bank support to work with other donors, the private sector, the government and other stakeholders to rehabilitate existing infrastructure as well as tap the under-utilized potential of energy sources such as Inga.
The World Bank President also stressed that large-scale energy projects, such as Inga, should not overshadow the importance of small-scale projects, which serve the most vulnerable Africans. Small-scale energy projects can contribute to the prevention of some of the 10 million premature deaths of women and children that are likely by 2030 if nothing is done to limit the health impact of smoke from wood fires used for cooking. He also noted the need to adopt environmentally-sound schemes that must protect biodiversity and fisheries when energy projects are built on a river such as the Congo , which is the second richest river in the world for fish.
While in Goma, Zoellick noted that a World Bank-funded project is helping young girls and women who were victims of sexual violence heal from the scars as they attempt to resume a normal life. “Peace is crucial for the reconstruction of this country, and particularly for the reconstruction of this province,” he said. “Sexual violence cannot be tolerated, must be denounced and punished, and every effort must be made to restore the dignity of young women who have suffered sexual violence,” Zoellick said.
Zoellick, who left DR Congo over its land border from Goma into Rubavu in neighboring Rwanda for the second lap of his three-nation African tour, was accompanied on his trip by the World Bank Vice President for the Africa Region, Obiageli Ezekwesili, the director of operations for the Africa Region, Colin Bruce, and the Country Director of the World Bank for Congo Republic and DR Congo, Marie-Francoise Marie-Nelly. He will go onto to Uganda from Rwanda for the third and final lap of his tour.
###
For more information about World Bank’s activities in DR Congo, please visit:
http://www.worldbank.org/drc
Pledging World Bank support to demobilization and reintegration programs similar to the one that has helped hundreds of thousands of ex-combatants reintegrate to civilian life in countries of the Great Lakes Region of Africa, Zoellick urged African leaders to do everything to curb the illicit trade in precious metals. The trade funds militia groups and fuels the steady flow in illicit small arms and light weapons that often trigger a relapse into conflict.
“Post-conflict countries face a big risk of falling back into conflict and so we must do everything we can to stop the exploitation of resources becoming a cause of violence,” Zoellick said. “My visit helped me better understand the development challenges of the Democratic Republic of Congo and was intended to reaffirm World Bank support for the country’s efforts to consolidate peace, and transition quickly from emergency assistance to sustainable development,” he added.
During the visit, the first lap in a tour of three African countries, Zoellick held talks with Congolese President Joseph Kabila, the country’s Prime Minister Adolphe Muzito, and key cabinet members whose ministerial departments work directly on World Bank-funded development projects.
During his meetings with President Kabila and Prime Minister Muzito, the World Bank president encouraged the government to sustain efforts to achieve debt forgiveness by reaching the completion point under the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) Initiative in March 2010. This would lighten the burden of debt servicing and create the fiscal space that could help DR Congo fund crucial social and economic development programs, notably infrastructure investments.
Commending the government of DR Congo for adopting a Governance Contract in 2007, Zoellick encouraged the country to stay the course of the difficult but rewarding reforms needed to achieve good governance objectives. He notably pointed to the need for the government to complete the ongoing review of mining contracts in a way that safeguards the country’s aim of increasing revenue as well as that of investors, making the sector more attractive to private investors.
Zoellick also held discussions with diplomats, representatives of the donor community, the private sector and civil society. “I learned a lot from my discussions with them and got a chance to hear, first hand, what we need to do to ensure improved donor coordination as we work together to promote the social and economic development of this country,” said Zoellick.
Zoellick visited the Inga hydropower plant in Bas Congo and promised World Bank support to work with other donors, the private sector, the government and other stakeholders to rehabilitate existing infrastructure as well as tap the under-utilized potential of energy sources such as Inga.
The World Bank President also stressed that large-scale energy projects, such as Inga, should not overshadow the importance of small-scale projects, which serve the most vulnerable Africans. Small-scale energy projects can contribute to the prevention of some of the 10 million premature deaths of women and children that are likely by 2030 if nothing is done to limit the health impact of smoke from wood fires used for cooking. He also noted the need to adopt environmentally-sound schemes that must protect biodiversity and fisheries when energy projects are built on a river such as the Congo , which is the second richest river in the world for fish.
While in Goma, Zoellick noted that a World Bank-funded project is helping young girls and women who were victims of sexual violence heal from the scars as they attempt to resume a normal life. “Peace is crucial for the reconstruction of this country, and particularly for the reconstruction of this province,” he said. “Sexual violence cannot be tolerated, must be denounced and punished, and every effort must be made to restore the dignity of young women who have suffered sexual violence,” Zoellick said.
Zoellick, who left DR Congo over its land border from Goma into Rubavu in neighboring Rwanda for the second lap of his three-nation African tour, was accompanied on his trip by the World Bank Vice President for the Africa Region, Obiageli Ezekwesili, the director of operations for the Africa Region, Colin Bruce, and the Country Director of the World Bank for Congo Republic and DR Congo, Marie-Francoise Marie-Nelly. He will go onto to Uganda from Rwanda for the third and final lap of his tour.
###
For more information about World Bank’s activities in DR Congo, please visit:
http://www.worldbank.org/drc
A Climate Smart Future
The world’s poor will bear the brunt of the impact of global climate change. As the planet warms, rainfall patterns shift, and extreme events such as droughts, floods, and forest fires become more frequent. Millions in densely populated coastal areas and in island nations will lose their homes as the sea level rises. In Africa, Asia, and elsewhere, poor people face prospects of tragic crop failures, reduced agricultural productivity, and increasing hunger, malnutrition, and disease. It will become even harder to attain the Millennium Development Goals – and ensure a safe and sustainable future beyond 2015.
For the people of the developing world – even as they strive to overcome poverty and advance economic growth – climate change threatens to deepen vulnerabilities, erode hard-won gains, and seriously undermine prospects for development. At the same time, they fear limits on their critical call to grow their economies, expand opportunity, and develop energy or new rules that might stifle their many needs, from infrastructure to entrepreneurism.
Climate change is one of the most complex challenges of our young century. No country is immune. Alone, no country can take on the interconnected challenges posed by climate change, which include controversial political decisions, daunting technological change, and far-reaching global consequences. A “climate-smart” world is possible in our time. Yet, as the World Bank Group’s new World Development Report argues, effecting such a transformation requires us to act now, act together, and act differently.
We must act now, because what we do today determines both the climate of tomorrow and the choices that shape our future. Today, we are emitting greenhouse gases that trap heat in the atmosphere for decades or even centuries. We are building power plants, reservoirs, houses, transport systems, and cities that are likely to last fifty years or more. The innovative technologies and crop varieties that we pilot today can shape energy and food sources to meet the needs of 3 billion more people by 2050.
We must act together, because climate change is a crisis of the commons. Climate change cannot be solved without countries cooperating on a global scale to improve energy efficiencies, develop and deploy clean technologies, and expand natural “sinks” to grow green by absorbing gasses. We need to protect human life and ecological resources. Developed countries have produced most of the emissions of the past, and have high per capita emissions. These countries should lead the way by signficantly reducing their carbon footprints and stimulating research into green alternatives. Yet most of the world’s future emissions will be generated in the developing world. These countries will need adequate funds and technology transfer so they can pursue lower carbon paths – without jeopardizing their development prospects.
We must act differently, because we cannot plan for the future based on the climate of the past. Tomorrow’s climate needs will require us to build infrastructure that can withstand new conditions and support greater numbers of people; use limited land and water resources to supply sufficient food and biomass for fuel while preserving ecosystems; and reconfigure the world’s energy systems. This will require adaptation measures that are based on new information about changing patterns of temperature, precipitation, and species. Changes of this magnitude will require substantial additional finance for adaptation and mitigation, and for strategically intensified research to scale up promising approaches and explore bold new ideas.
At this point, the diverse countries of the world have not sufficiently curbed emissions or financed developing countries. We need a new momentum. The current global economic turmoil must not hold us back – rather, it presents an opportunity to think anew. ‘Green’ stimulus funds in many countries may jumpstart the innovation needed to address climate change problems. It is crucial that we reach a climate agreement in December in Copenhagen that integrates development needs with climate actions.
As a multilateral institution whose mission is inclusive and sustainable development, the World Bank Group has a responsibility to try to explain some of the interconnected challenges posed by climate change – challenges in development economics, science, energy, ecology, technology, finance, and effective international regimes and governance – and to build cooperation among vastly different states, the private sector, and civil society to achieve common goods.
The World Bank Group has developed several financing initiatives to help countries cope with climate change, including our carbon funds and facilities, which continue to grow as financing for energy efficiency and new renewable energy increases substantially. We are trying to develop practical experience about how developing countries can benefit from and support a climate change regime – ranging from workable mechanisms for forestation and avoided deforestation through carbon trading systems, to lower carbon growth models and initiatives that combine adaptation and mitigation. In these ways, we can support the UNFCCC process and the countries devising new international incentives and disincentives.
Much more is needed. We need action on climate issues before it is too late. If we act now, act together, and act differently, there are real opportunities to shape our climate future for a safe, inclusive, and sustainable globalization.
For the people of the developing world – even as they strive to overcome poverty and advance economic growth – climate change threatens to deepen vulnerabilities, erode hard-won gains, and seriously undermine prospects for development. At the same time, they fear limits on their critical call to grow their economies, expand opportunity, and develop energy or new rules that might stifle their many needs, from infrastructure to entrepreneurism.
Climate change is one of the most complex challenges of our young century. No country is immune. Alone, no country can take on the interconnected challenges posed by climate change, which include controversial political decisions, daunting technological change, and far-reaching global consequences. A “climate-smart” world is possible in our time. Yet, as the World Bank Group’s new World Development Report argues, effecting such a transformation requires us to act now, act together, and act differently.
We must act now, because what we do today determines both the climate of tomorrow and the choices that shape our future. Today, we are emitting greenhouse gases that trap heat in the atmosphere for decades or even centuries. We are building power plants, reservoirs, houses, transport systems, and cities that are likely to last fifty years or more. The innovative technologies and crop varieties that we pilot today can shape energy and food sources to meet the needs of 3 billion more people by 2050.
We must act together, because climate change is a crisis of the commons. Climate change cannot be solved without countries cooperating on a global scale to improve energy efficiencies, develop and deploy clean technologies, and expand natural “sinks” to grow green by absorbing gasses. We need to protect human life and ecological resources. Developed countries have produced most of the emissions of the past, and have high per capita emissions. These countries should lead the way by signficantly reducing their carbon footprints and stimulating research into green alternatives. Yet most of the world’s future emissions will be generated in the developing world. These countries will need adequate funds and technology transfer so they can pursue lower carbon paths – without jeopardizing their development prospects.
We must act differently, because we cannot plan for the future based on the climate of the past. Tomorrow’s climate needs will require us to build infrastructure that can withstand new conditions and support greater numbers of people; use limited land and water resources to supply sufficient food and biomass for fuel while preserving ecosystems; and reconfigure the world’s energy systems. This will require adaptation measures that are based on new information about changing patterns of temperature, precipitation, and species. Changes of this magnitude will require substantial additional finance for adaptation and mitigation, and for strategically intensified research to scale up promising approaches and explore bold new ideas.
At this point, the diverse countries of the world have not sufficiently curbed emissions or financed developing countries. We need a new momentum. The current global economic turmoil must not hold us back – rather, it presents an opportunity to think anew. ‘Green’ stimulus funds in many countries may jumpstart the innovation needed to address climate change problems. It is crucial that we reach a climate agreement in December in Copenhagen that integrates development needs with climate actions.
As a multilateral institution whose mission is inclusive and sustainable development, the World Bank Group has a responsibility to try to explain some of the interconnected challenges posed by climate change – challenges in development economics, science, energy, ecology, technology, finance, and effective international regimes and governance – and to build cooperation among vastly different states, the private sector, and civil society to achieve common goods.
The World Bank Group has developed several financing initiatives to help countries cope with climate change, including our carbon funds and facilities, which continue to grow as financing for energy efficiency and new renewable energy increases substantially. We are trying to develop practical experience about how developing countries can benefit from and support a climate change regime – ranging from workable mechanisms for forestation and avoided deforestation through carbon trading systems, to lower carbon growth models and initiatives that combine adaptation and mitigation. In these ways, we can support the UNFCCC process and the countries devising new international incentives and disincentives.
Much more is needed. We need action on climate issues before it is too late. If we act now, act together, and act differently, there are real opportunities to shape our climate future for a safe, inclusive, and sustainable globalization.
Economic crisis is remaking global power relations, Zoellick says
— The global economic crisis is contributing to shifts in power relations in the world that will impact currency markets, monetary policy, trade relations and the role of developing countries, said World Bank Group President Robert B. Zoellick.
In a speech ahead of the Annual Meetings in Istanbul, Turkey of the World Bank and IMF, Zoellick said leaders should reshape the multilateral system and forge a “responsible globalization” that would encourage balanced global growth and financial stability, embrace global efforts to counter climate change, and advance opportunity for the poorest.
“The old international economic order was struggling to keep up with change before the crisis,” Zoellick told an audience at the Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies of the Johns Hopkins University, in Washington, DC. “Today’s upheaval has revealed the stark gaps and compelling needs. It is time we caught up and moved ahead.”
In the speech entitled “After the Crisis?”, Zoellick said: “Peer review of a new Framework for Strong, Sustainable and Balanced Growth agreed at last week’s G-20 Summit is a good start, but it will require a new level of international cooperation and coordination, including a new willingness to take the findings of global monitoring seriously. Peer review will need to be peer pressure.”
It was also important for the G-20 to remember those countries not at the table. “As agreed in Pittsburgh last week, the G-20 should become the premier forum for international economic cooperation among the advanced industrialized countries and rising powers. But it cannot be a stand-alone committee. Nor can it ignore the voices of the over 160 countries left outside.”
China’s strong response during the economic crisis and rapid recovery had underscored its growing influence as a stabilizing force in today’s global economy. But its leaders face challenges caused by rapid credit growth and the economy’s dependence on exports.
The United States had clearly been hit hard by the crisis. Its prospects depend on whether it will address large deficits, recover without inflation, and overhaul its financial system. The United States has a history of recovering from setbacks. “But the United States would be mistaken to take for granted the dollar’s place as the world’s predominant reserve currency,” Zoellick said. “Looking forward, there will increasingly be other options to the dollar.”
The crisis has brought to the attention of lawmakers the significant role played by central banks. Central banks performed well once the crisis hit but their role in the build-up was less convincing. “In the United States, it will be difficult to vest the independent and powerful technocrats at the Federal Reserve with more authority,” said Zoellick. “My reading of recent crisis management is that the Treasury Department needed greater authority to pull together a bevy of different regulators. Moreover, the Treasury is an Executive department, and therefore Congress and the public can more directly oversee how it uses any added authority.”
Developing countries had already been on the rise before the crisis and their position has been further strengthened because of it. Their growing share of the world economy was a positive development. “Looking beyond, a more balanced and inclusive growth model for the world would benefit from multiple poles of growth,” Zoellick said. “With investments in infrastructure, people, and private businesses, countries in Latin America, Asia, and the broader Middle East could contribute to a “New Normal” for the world economy.”
For more information on the World Bank Program please visit www.worldbank.org
In a speech ahead of the Annual Meetings in Istanbul, Turkey of the World Bank and IMF, Zoellick said leaders should reshape the multilateral system and forge a “responsible globalization” that would encourage balanced global growth and financial stability, embrace global efforts to counter climate change, and advance opportunity for the poorest.
“The old international economic order was struggling to keep up with change before the crisis,” Zoellick told an audience at the Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies of the Johns Hopkins University, in Washington, DC. “Today’s upheaval has revealed the stark gaps and compelling needs. It is time we caught up and moved ahead.”
In the speech entitled “After the Crisis?”, Zoellick said: “Peer review of a new Framework for Strong, Sustainable and Balanced Growth agreed at last week’s G-20 Summit is a good start, but it will require a new level of international cooperation and coordination, including a new willingness to take the findings of global monitoring seriously. Peer review will need to be peer pressure.”
It was also important for the G-20 to remember those countries not at the table. “As agreed in Pittsburgh last week, the G-20 should become the premier forum for international economic cooperation among the advanced industrialized countries and rising powers. But it cannot be a stand-alone committee. Nor can it ignore the voices of the over 160 countries left outside.”
China’s strong response during the economic crisis and rapid recovery had underscored its growing influence as a stabilizing force in today’s global economy. But its leaders face challenges caused by rapid credit growth and the economy’s dependence on exports.
The United States had clearly been hit hard by the crisis. Its prospects depend on whether it will address large deficits, recover without inflation, and overhaul its financial system. The United States has a history of recovering from setbacks. “But the United States would be mistaken to take for granted the dollar’s place as the world’s predominant reserve currency,” Zoellick said. “Looking forward, there will increasingly be other options to the dollar.”
The crisis has brought to the attention of lawmakers the significant role played by central banks. Central banks performed well once the crisis hit but their role in the build-up was less convincing. “In the United States, it will be difficult to vest the independent and powerful technocrats at the Federal Reserve with more authority,” said Zoellick. “My reading of recent crisis management is that the Treasury Department needed greater authority to pull together a bevy of different regulators. Moreover, the Treasury is an Executive department, and therefore Congress and the public can more directly oversee how it uses any added authority.”
Developing countries had already been on the rise before the crisis and their position has been further strengthened because of it. Their growing share of the world economy was a positive development. “Looking beyond, a more balanced and inclusive growth model for the world would benefit from multiple poles of growth,” Zoellick said. “With investments in infrastructure, people, and private businesses, countries in Latin America, Asia, and the broader Middle East could contribute to a “New Normal” for the world economy.”
For more information on the World Bank Program please visit www.worldbank.org
MINISTERS OF JUSTICE SEEK TO IMPROVE LEGAL CLIMATE
The Ministers of Justice of ECOWAS Member States on Wednesday, 7th October 2009 endorsed the on-going process towards the establishment of an appellate mechanism within the ECOWAS Court of Justice system that would allow litigants dissatisfied with the decisions of the existing Court to appeal for a review.
At the end of a three-day meeting in Abuja, the ministers agreed that the creation of this bi-level system of jurisdiction would better guarantee the dispensation of justice and the protection of the rights of complainants.
The ECOWAS Revised Treaty of 1993 that set up the Community Court of Justice stipulates that the decisions of the Court are final and not subject to appeal.
But the ministers refused to allow an amendment to the Protocol setting up the Court that would compel citizens to exhaust national remedies before coming to the Court for cases relating to the violation of human rights.
They agreed that the Protocol provides additional safeguards for the protection of the rights of citizens and that that applicants have the option of choosing the national or Community Court for their cases.
The current practice allows ECOWAS citizens direct access to the Court on cases relating to the violation of their human rights that occur in any Member State without exhausting the remedies at the national level.
The Ministers also adopted some criteria for selecting host countries for ECOWAS institutions and agencies. They said the criteria would ensure a just and equitable distribution of ECOWAS institutions and agencies as well as harmonize the conditions for both host countries and the institutions, which would help promote greater efficiency within the institutions.
In addition, the Ministers agreed on the need to improve the legal regime of Community Acts as well as the rules of procedure for the Heads of State and regional institutions.
While emphasizing the importance of ensuring that the regional leaders and institutions have the necessary legal instruments to facilitate decision-making, the Ministers expressed the belief that the organizational rules they have proposed would promote efficiency and provide more results-based decision-making, among others.
The recommendations of the Ministers of Justice will be presented to the next session of the ECOWAS Council of Ministers.
At the end of a three-day meeting in Abuja, the ministers agreed that the creation of this bi-level system of jurisdiction would better guarantee the dispensation of justice and the protection of the rights of complainants.
The ECOWAS Revised Treaty of 1993 that set up the Community Court of Justice stipulates that the decisions of the Court are final and not subject to appeal.
But the ministers refused to allow an amendment to the Protocol setting up the Court that would compel citizens to exhaust national remedies before coming to the Court for cases relating to the violation of human rights.
They agreed that the Protocol provides additional safeguards for the protection of the rights of citizens and that that applicants have the option of choosing the national or Community Court for their cases.
The current practice allows ECOWAS citizens direct access to the Court on cases relating to the violation of their human rights that occur in any Member State without exhausting the remedies at the national level.
The Ministers also adopted some criteria for selecting host countries for ECOWAS institutions and agencies. They said the criteria would ensure a just and equitable distribution of ECOWAS institutions and agencies as well as harmonize the conditions for both host countries and the institutions, which would help promote greater efficiency within the institutions.
In addition, the Ministers agreed on the need to improve the legal regime of Community Acts as well as the rules of procedure for the Heads of State and regional institutions.
While emphasizing the importance of ensuring that the regional leaders and institutions have the necessary legal instruments to facilitate decision-making, the Ministers expressed the belief that the organizational rules they have proposed would promote efficiency and provide more results-based decision-making, among others.
The recommendations of the Ministers of Justice will be presented to the next session of the ECOWAS Council of Ministers.
Toward Greater Transparency through Access to Information
WASHINGTON, DC, December 23, 2009The World Bank today finalized its Access to Information Policy, which makes the Bank a transparency leader among international institutions. The policy was approved by the Board of Executive Directors on November 17, 2009 and will become effective July 1, 2010. The final text of the Policy paper reflects the comments and requests for clarifications sought by the Board during the November 17 discussion.
With the adoption of a progressive disclosure policy, the World Bank has set the standard for which the other IFIs should strive as they review their respective information disclosure policies. While we applaud the Bank, it is important to remember that implementation is key; the end goal is improved development outcomes through meaningful civil society participation, says Chad Dobson, Executive Director, (BIC) the Bank Information Center. BIC is an independent civil society organization that was involved in consultations on the policy.
The new policy represents a fundamental shift in the Banks approach to disclosure of informationmoving from an approach that spells out what information it can disclose to one under which the Bank will disclose any information in its possession that is not on a list of exceptions.
The Bank takes access to information very seriously. This new policy means that information will be as accessible as possible. The public will no longer have to specifically request information because we will: make public as much material as possible through our website and country information centers; provide as much as possible automatically; and leave as little as possible to discretion, said Peter Harrold, Director, Operations Policy and Country Services (OPCS).
The Bank will now be making much more information available on key decisions made during project development and implementation. These include decisions of Project Concept Review meetings, project supervision missions, and mid-term project reviews This enhanced transparency and accountability will allow for greater scrutiny of Bank-supported projects, thereby enabling better development results. In addition, the Access to Information policy will make information more accessible to the general public, providing an opportunity to better monitor the use of public funds, said Jeff Gutman, Vice President, OPCS.
The policy seeks to strike the right balance between maximum access to information and respect for the confidentiality of information pertaining to its clients, shareholders, employees, and other parties.
In order for affected parties, civil society groups, and other stakeholders to review how their feedback has informed the preparation of lending operations and the formulation of Bank policies and strategies more information relating to Board proceedings will now be available before decisions are made. Operational Policy and Strategy papers that are prepared following public consultations will now be disclosed publicly at the same time they are distributed to the Board, rather than after Board decisions have been made, if the Board has previously reviewed a draft (simultaneous disclosure). In cases where the Executive Directors have not reviewed a draft, the paper will still be disclosed at least two weeks before the Board discussion, if the Board approves such early disclosure.
In addition, Country Assistance Strategies, Project Appraisal Documents, and Program Documents will be disclosed simultaneous to their distribution to the Board if the member country consents.
The new policy recognizes that the sensitivity of some information declines over time, and it provides for certain information to be declassified and disclosed after a reasonable period of time has passed5, 10, or 20 years.
The new policy now also clearly spells out an appeals process for requesters who believe that the Bank has unreasonably denied access to information. This will be a two-stage process. An administrative appeals mechanism under Bank Management will serve as a first level of appeal, and a mechanism independent of Managementa panel consisting of three international expertswill make final binding decisions on disclosure for certain types of appeal.
In order to ensure the effective implementation of this far-reaching policy across the Institution, the Bank is now putting in place the necessary IT systems, enhancements to the external website and public information centers worldwide, and guidelines and training programs for staff.
The policy was informed by extensive external and internal consultations held in 33 countries and through the Banks external website. It reflects the views of member countries, civil society organizations, academia, parliamentarians, media, the private sector, international organizations, donor agencies, and Bank staff.
With the adoption of a progressive disclosure policy, the World Bank has set the standard for which the other IFIs should strive as they review their respective information disclosure policies. While we applaud the Bank, it is important to remember that implementation is key; the end goal is improved development outcomes through meaningful civil society participation, says Chad Dobson, Executive Director, (BIC) the Bank Information Center. BIC is an independent civil society organization that was involved in consultations on the policy.
The new policy represents a fundamental shift in the Banks approach to disclosure of informationmoving from an approach that spells out what information it can disclose to one under which the Bank will disclose any information in its possession that is not on a list of exceptions.
The Bank takes access to information very seriously. This new policy means that information will be as accessible as possible. The public will no longer have to specifically request information because we will: make public as much material as possible through our website and country information centers; provide as much as possible automatically; and leave as little as possible to discretion, said Peter Harrold, Director, Operations Policy and Country Services (OPCS).
The Bank will now be making much more information available on key decisions made during project development and implementation. These include decisions of Project Concept Review meetings, project supervision missions, and mid-term project reviews This enhanced transparency and accountability will allow for greater scrutiny of Bank-supported projects, thereby enabling better development results. In addition, the Access to Information policy will make information more accessible to the general public, providing an opportunity to better monitor the use of public funds, said Jeff Gutman, Vice President, OPCS.
The policy seeks to strike the right balance between maximum access to information and respect for the confidentiality of information pertaining to its clients, shareholders, employees, and other parties.
In order for affected parties, civil society groups, and other stakeholders to review how their feedback has informed the preparation of lending operations and the formulation of Bank policies and strategies more information relating to Board proceedings will now be available before decisions are made. Operational Policy and Strategy papers that are prepared following public consultations will now be disclosed publicly at the same time they are distributed to the Board, rather than after Board decisions have been made, if the Board has previously reviewed a draft (simultaneous disclosure). In cases where the Executive Directors have not reviewed a draft, the paper will still be disclosed at least two weeks before the Board discussion, if the Board approves such early disclosure.
In addition, Country Assistance Strategies, Project Appraisal Documents, and Program Documents will be disclosed simultaneous to their distribution to the Board if the member country consents.
The new policy recognizes that the sensitivity of some information declines over time, and it provides for certain information to be declassified and disclosed after a reasonable period of time has passed5, 10, or 20 years.
The new policy now also clearly spells out an appeals process for requesters who believe that the Bank has unreasonably denied access to information. This will be a two-stage process. An administrative appeals mechanism under Bank Management will serve as a first level of appeal, and a mechanism independent of Managementa panel consisting of three international expertswill make final binding decisions on disclosure for certain types of appeal.
In order to ensure the effective implementation of this far-reaching policy across the Institution, the Bank is now putting in place the necessary IT systems, enhancements to the external website and public information centers worldwide, and guidelines and training programs for staff.
The policy was informed by extensive external and internal consultations held in 33 countries and through the Banks external website. It reflects the views of member countries, civil society organizations, academia, parliamentarians, media, the private sector, international organizations, donor agencies, and Bank staff.
Accra-Tema Motorway: A Reflection of Failed Policies
By Charles Kwame Boakye
The Accra-Tema Motorway is fast deteriorating, becoming a death trap, with high traffic growth and encroachment of right-of-way, and unless serious efforts are made by the Government to save this vital national asset, traffic build-up and inconveniences to commuters will soon dwarf what exists on other heavily trafficked streets in Accra.
Poor land-use development, excessive axle loading, and substandard maintenance practices are pushing the motorway into an irreversible destructive spiral, posing major threats to productivity and national security.
Ghana built its first and only motorway linking Tema and Accra in 1964 as part of the countrys program of transforming Tema into an industrial hub of the newly-independent nation. Among the features of the motorway was a dual carriageway with a median or a central reservation area that completely separated the two carriageways. Like all motorways, the Accra -Tema motorway was designed prohibiting pedestrian movement, parking areas or U-turns. Moreover, until recently, no road joined the motorway at any other section except the entry and exit points.
At 45 years old, the 19km Motorway is the oldest paved road in Ghana. Being a concrete pavement, it is more expensive to construct than asphalt or other bituminous surface roads, but it is more economical to operate over the long term. It is longer lasting, stronger, and requires minimal maintenance. There are several concrete pavements in Europe and North America that are almost 100 years old and the Accra Tema road could have easily attained this status if it had been managed well. Unfortunately, it appears to be in its last days with its elegant and shiny concrete pavement already fading out.
It is showing defects and the condition of the pavement is worsening by the day. Critical observation shows it is rapidly deteriorating as sealant, steel reinforcement damage and cracks are plainly visible.
The 300 metre (900 feet) wide right-of-way was largely preserved until the late 1990s when development started on the northern end and in the 2000s when the southern strip was re-zoned by the Town and Country Planning Department and sold off by the Lands Commission, while the Ministry and the Ghana Highway Authority appeared unconcerned. New residential areas further north include parts of East Legon, Adjiringano, Trasacco Valley and the Borteiman Estates which are still under development. Developments on the southern end include factories, bonded warehouses, shopping malls, and residential estates.
The absence of road markings delineating overtaking from steady lanes often confounds users unfamiliar with the motorway. The outer lanes are generally intended for normal steady driving, while the inner lanesthose closer to the medianare intended for overtaking. This is different from some countries in Europe and North America where the outer lane is used for overtaking. The bituminous shoulders, intended for maintenance and emergency use, are converted to a third lane whenever traffic builds up. The shoulders wearing course reels, permitting water seepage, and underscoring the speedy deterioration of the pavement borders.
The economic importance of the motorway cannot be over emphasized as it is the main route for transporting goods to the Tema Harbour, and also passengers and goods to the Volta and Northern Regions from Accra, and countries east of Ghana. It is part of the Trans-West Africa highway network project that ECOWAS member countries are undertaking from Senegal to Nigeria. The Motorway also carries traffic from Accra to Tema (Communities 21, 22, 25) and settlements and communities in Sakumono and Teshie-Nungua.
Environmental management and traffic growth
The motorway is fast losing its environmental attractions and driving quality. The broad view, breathtaking landscape coupled with the serene atmosphere and constant uninterrupted swirling fresh air, used to make plying the motorway a delight. However, these conditions are steadily vanishing as trees and vegetative cover are gradually giving way to brick and mortar, real estate and industrial establishments.
In the dry season, the shrubs and grasses within the median are burnt by those supposed to keep them neat and tidy resulting in brush fires and smoke causing low visibility and environmental hazards to commuters.
Traffic along the Accra-Tema Motorway has grown significantly since the completion of the Ashaiman interchange five years ago, and also due to the use of unapproved access routes at the Sakumono Abattoir area. As a result of rapid urbanization of settlements along the Spintex road, motorists that previously used the Spintex road to and from Accra have diverted their course through the motorway.
A traffic study carried out by Soman Consult for the Ministry of Roads and Highways in 2007 revealed that the total average annual daily traffic (AADT) on the Motorway for both ends was 23,211. It is estimated that while the average national vehicular traffic growth is 15 percent, growth on the motorway corridor is more than 20 percent per annum. At this rate, the total AADT by 2010 will be 45,000. This means an average of 45,000 vehicles will use the motorway each day by end of next year, with cars - 47 percent; four wheel-drives - 18 percent; light buses - 18 percent; and heavy buses and goods trucks - 15 percent.
In just five years, when portions of the former Nungua farm lands restored to the Nungua stool are fully developed, and the Tema Development Corporation completes development of Communities 23 and 24 at the northern end, pressure will increase for more access routes into the Motorway and traffic could build up for a few kilometres from Tetteh-Quarshie interchange. Vehicles could thus spend an average of at least one hour crossing the Motorway.
A Death trap
Beneath the veneer of suitability and comfort lies a feeling of deep displeasure by a section of users that the motorway is undoubtedly becoming a death trap. There has been steady growth in the number of accidents and casualties on the Motorway. Information available indicates that on the average two accidents occur on the motorway daily. The National Road Safety Commission reports that the Motorway recorded 16 fatal accidents within the first two months of 2009, claiming the lives of 18, and injuring 23.
A number of reasons account for the evolving high accident rate on the motorway, one of them being the emergence of passenger stops, about six so far. Drivers drop off passengers on the Motorway and in like manner, passengers converge at various spots along the motorway for transport. Prominent parking areas include the stretch adjoining the Action Chapel, Printex factory and the Ashaiman underpass.
It is on record that accidents have occurred at the drop-off points because drivers, prompted by passengers, suddenly swerve to the outer lane to stop only to cross an oncoming vehicle. Drivers have also misjudged the speed of approaching traffic on the outer lanes. Other causes include low visibility due to poor lighting. There are also complaints by passengers awaiting vehicles, especially in the night, of criminal activities like rape and robbery.
More encroachment
Encroachment on the motorway is an ongoing activity. Buildings and warehouses are springing up rapidly, as if it is a race. Currently, there is a huge ground water tank positioned next to the pavement that will clearly impede future expansion of the motorway. The water tank serves the Accra Mall. Next to this is the show room for a reputable real estate company.
The earlier encroachment on the motorway is stopped, the better. The loss of productivity, the waste of fuel, threats to health, crime and similar costs to the nation would otherwise be colossal. It would be easier to address the problem now than later. The expense and challenge involved in rectifying the problem swells for each day that no action is taken.
It appears Ghanaian leaders and technocrats have learned nothing from the problems Spintex road has caused commuters. This writer advised the authorities about the imminent crisis on the Spintex road as far back as 1997 but nothing was done. Consider that the Government is saddled with paying millions of cedis as compensation for people affected by the expansion of the Motorway extension work N1, financed by the MIDA, an expense that could have been avoided if state institutions had preserved the right of way from encroachment.
The absence of an adequate land-use plan is identified as one of the factors fuelling the rapid encroachment on the Motorway. At this rate, without firm government intervention traffic will become unbearable in the not too distant future, accidents will increase, the motorway will be downgraded to a dual carriageway, and traffic lights and parking lots will have to be introduced. The Motorway will cease to be an express way linking Accra and Tema, and virtually become a street running through several townships and residential settlements.
Financing road maintenance and better management
One major constraint affecting the maintenance of the motorway is inadequate financial resources. Currently, average net revenue paid to the Road Fund is a paltry GHﾢ62,000 per month, projected to be GHﾢ750,000 per annum. The operator spends an equivalent amount for recurrent expenditure and operating expenses. Revenues from tolls have increased slightly since the new operator started work about four months ago.
The current toll rates, unchanged since 1998, are out of touch with economic reality and thus funds obtained are grossly inadequate to maintain the motorway. A gradual increase from 5 to 50 pesewas for cars and similar adjustments made for other vehicle types could have generated $60 million over the last 10 years.
A global road toll study conducted by the World Bank ascertained that toll rates in Ghana are currently about one twentieth of what exists in similar low income countries. It is important car rates are increased to 30 Ghana pesewas from 2010, then 50 pesewas from 2011, and GHﾢ1 from 2012. Should this happen, and further revenue leakages blocked, and current traffic growth are maintained, cumulative receipts for the next 11 years up to 2020 will exceed US$150 million. This is adequate to finance the construction of parallel service roads, asphalt overlay, and interchanges to enhance traffic flow.
Other issues to be addressed include the management of the tolling facilities by operators whose only responsibility is to collect tolls while road maintenance and management remains the responsibility of Ghana Highway Authority (GHA). Similar to the practice in developed countries, it is important that GHA recruits highway management services firms that will not only collect tolls but also undertake technical work on the entire carriageway.
There is an urgent need to institute a body to regulate all toll roads in Ghana. The Ministrys responsibility must be handed over to a body, established by an act of Parliament, mandated to act as a separate National Road Toll Authority not only for the Motorway but also all other roads in Ghana. This will ensure that politicians are taken out of the decision making process in determining the level of rates.
The thinking underpinning management of the motorway must move away from treating it as a social service managed by a bureaucracy and funded by the tax payer, towards a more commercial approach which imposes a form of surrogate market discipline or competition, much like other utilities.
Enforcing Executive Instrument on the Motorway
In March 1973, an Executive Instrument was passed declaring the Accra - Tema Motorway as a legal entity with prescribed tolls for various categories of vehicles (EI 46 of 1973). The EI, which was not enforced, must be revised in the light of present developments, not limiting it to the carriageway, but including the Ashaiman interchange and the entire right-of-way. This is necessary because state institutions are unable to protect the Motorway. In 2004, residents of East Legon brought a legal action and won the case against the Town and Country Planning Department for re-zoning and allocating parts of the motorway to developers.
Future development
Given the rapid traffic growth on the motorway, many factories have encroached on the right-of-way and opened up access routes directly onto the pavement. It is important that design features and tolling systems should take into account the peculiar needs and constraints of the industries to create access to their work places. If reasonable and convenient alternative routes are not available, there is likely to be agitation by users. There is the need therefore to construct frontage roads running parallel to the Motorway that will provide access to homes and businesses that have been cut off.
A gradual increase in road tolls will yield adequate funds to finance asphalt overlay over the concrete road, provide bright street lights, finance expansion of the existing two lanes to three in either direction, provide frontage/service roads running parallel to the motorway, and finance the construction of two more interchanges, one at the Abattoir and the other at Trasacco Valley. The Ministry of Roads and Highways and the GHA must lead towards the preparation of an investment plan and better management models.
The new Lands Commission and national security have shown strong commitment to preserve the motorway by advertising for the removal of properties that fall within 50 meters (150 feet) from the center line. The Government must be highly commended for this action. Unfortunately, 150 feet is not adequate to support future expansion and must be increased to 250 feet. Nevertheless, Ghanaians must throw their weight behind the efforts of the authorities to improve conditions along the corridor.
If we do not solve this problem today, we shall be creating bigger problems for ourselves in the near future. It would cost about $300 million to construct a similar road, considering its features and embankments. As a developing country, we have the benefit of learning from other people and countries to solve our problems. The downgrading of the motorway to a dual carriageway is imminent, but Government must lead the way in avoiding further crisis on the corridor.
Author
Charles Boakye
Institute for Infrastructure Development, Accra
cboakye@infrastructureghana.org
The Accra-Tema Motorway is fast deteriorating, becoming a death trap, with high traffic growth and encroachment of right-of-way, and unless serious efforts are made by the Government to save this vital national asset, traffic build-up and inconveniences to commuters will soon dwarf what exists on other heavily trafficked streets in Accra.
Poor land-use development, excessive axle loading, and substandard maintenance practices are pushing the motorway into an irreversible destructive spiral, posing major threats to productivity and national security.
Ghana built its first and only motorway linking Tema and Accra in 1964 as part of the countrys program of transforming Tema into an industrial hub of the newly-independent nation. Among the features of the motorway was a dual carriageway with a median or a central reservation area that completely separated the two carriageways. Like all motorways, the Accra -Tema motorway was designed prohibiting pedestrian movement, parking areas or U-turns. Moreover, until recently, no road joined the motorway at any other section except the entry and exit points.
At 45 years old, the 19km Motorway is the oldest paved road in Ghana. Being a concrete pavement, it is more expensive to construct than asphalt or other bituminous surface roads, but it is more economical to operate over the long term. It is longer lasting, stronger, and requires minimal maintenance. There are several concrete pavements in Europe and North America that are almost 100 years old and the Accra Tema road could have easily attained this status if it had been managed well. Unfortunately, it appears to be in its last days with its elegant and shiny concrete pavement already fading out.
It is showing defects and the condition of the pavement is worsening by the day. Critical observation shows it is rapidly deteriorating as sealant, steel reinforcement damage and cracks are plainly visible.
The 300 metre (900 feet) wide right-of-way was largely preserved until the late 1990s when development started on the northern end and in the 2000s when the southern strip was re-zoned by the Town and Country Planning Department and sold off by the Lands Commission, while the Ministry and the Ghana Highway Authority appeared unconcerned. New residential areas further north include parts of East Legon, Adjiringano, Trasacco Valley and the Borteiman Estates which are still under development. Developments on the southern end include factories, bonded warehouses, shopping malls, and residential estates.
The absence of road markings delineating overtaking from steady lanes often confounds users unfamiliar with the motorway. The outer lanes are generally intended for normal steady driving, while the inner lanesthose closer to the medianare intended for overtaking. This is different from some countries in Europe and North America where the outer lane is used for overtaking. The bituminous shoulders, intended for maintenance and emergency use, are converted to a third lane whenever traffic builds up. The shoulders wearing course reels, permitting water seepage, and underscoring the speedy deterioration of the pavement borders.
The economic importance of the motorway cannot be over emphasized as it is the main route for transporting goods to the Tema Harbour, and also passengers and goods to the Volta and Northern Regions from Accra, and countries east of Ghana. It is part of the Trans-West Africa highway network project that ECOWAS member countries are undertaking from Senegal to Nigeria. The Motorway also carries traffic from Accra to Tema (Communities 21, 22, 25) and settlements and communities in Sakumono and Teshie-Nungua.
Environmental management and traffic growth
The motorway is fast losing its environmental attractions and driving quality. The broad view, breathtaking landscape coupled with the serene atmosphere and constant uninterrupted swirling fresh air, used to make plying the motorway a delight. However, these conditions are steadily vanishing as trees and vegetative cover are gradually giving way to brick and mortar, real estate and industrial establishments.
In the dry season, the shrubs and grasses within the median are burnt by those supposed to keep them neat and tidy resulting in brush fires and smoke causing low visibility and environmental hazards to commuters.
Traffic along the Accra-Tema Motorway has grown significantly since the completion of the Ashaiman interchange five years ago, and also due to the use of unapproved access routes at the Sakumono Abattoir area. As a result of rapid urbanization of settlements along the Spintex road, motorists that previously used the Spintex road to and from Accra have diverted their course through the motorway.
A traffic study carried out by Soman Consult for the Ministry of Roads and Highways in 2007 revealed that the total average annual daily traffic (AADT) on the Motorway for both ends was 23,211. It is estimated that while the average national vehicular traffic growth is 15 percent, growth on the motorway corridor is more than 20 percent per annum. At this rate, the total AADT by 2010 will be 45,000. This means an average of 45,000 vehicles will use the motorway each day by end of next year, with cars - 47 percent; four wheel-drives - 18 percent; light buses - 18 percent; and heavy buses and goods trucks - 15 percent.
In just five years, when portions of the former Nungua farm lands restored to the Nungua stool are fully developed, and the Tema Development Corporation completes development of Communities 23 and 24 at the northern end, pressure will increase for more access routes into the Motorway and traffic could build up for a few kilometres from Tetteh-Quarshie interchange. Vehicles could thus spend an average of at least one hour crossing the Motorway.
A Death trap
Beneath the veneer of suitability and comfort lies a feeling of deep displeasure by a section of users that the motorway is undoubtedly becoming a death trap. There has been steady growth in the number of accidents and casualties on the Motorway. Information available indicates that on the average two accidents occur on the motorway daily. The National Road Safety Commission reports that the Motorway recorded 16 fatal accidents within the first two months of 2009, claiming the lives of 18, and injuring 23.
A number of reasons account for the evolving high accident rate on the motorway, one of them being the emergence of passenger stops, about six so far. Drivers drop off passengers on the Motorway and in like manner, passengers converge at various spots along the motorway for transport. Prominent parking areas include the stretch adjoining the Action Chapel, Printex factory and the Ashaiman underpass.
It is on record that accidents have occurred at the drop-off points because drivers, prompted by passengers, suddenly swerve to the outer lane to stop only to cross an oncoming vehicle. Drivers have also misjudged the speed of approaching traffic on the outer lanes. Other causes include low visibility due to poor lighting. There are also complaints by passengers awaiting vehicles, especially in the night, of criminal activities like rape and robbery.
More encroachment
Encroachment on the motorway is an ongoing activity. Buildings and warehouses are springing up rapidly, as if it is a race. Currently, there is a huge ground water tank positioned next to the pavement that will clearly impede future expansion of the motorway. The water tank serves the Accra Mall. Next to this is the show room for a reputable real estate company.
The earlier encroachment on the motorway is stopped, the better. The loss of productivity, the waste of fuel, threats to health, crime and similar costs to the nation would otherwise be colossal. It would be easier to address the problem now than later. The expense and challenge involved in rectifying the problem swells for each day that no action is taken.
It appears Ghanaian leaders and technocrats have learned nothing from the problems Spintex road has caused commuters. This writer advised the authorities about the imminent crisis on the Spintex road as far back as 1997 but nothing was done. Consider that the Government is saddled with paying millions of cedis as compensation for people affected by the expansion of the Motorway extension work N1, financed by the MIDA, an expense that could have been avoided if state institutions had preserved the right of way from encroachment.
The absence of an adequate land-use plan is identified as one of the factors fuelling the rapid encroachment on the Motorway. At this rate, without firm government intervention traffic will become unbearable in the not too distant future, accidents will increase, the motorway will be downgraded to a dual carriageway, and traffic lights and parking lots will have to be introduced. The Motorway will cease to be an express way linking Accra and Tema, and virtually become a street running through several townships and residential settlements.
Financing road maintenance and better management
One major constraint affecting the maintenance of the motorway is inadequate financial resources. Currently, average net revenue paid to the Road Fund is a paltry GHﾢ62,000 per month, projected to be GHﾢ750,000 per annum. The operator spends an equivalent amount for recurrent expenditure and operating expenses. Revenues from tolls have increased slightly since the new operator started work about four months ago.
The current toll rates, unchanged since 1998, are out of touch with economic reality and thus funds obtained are grossly inadequate to maintain the motorway. A gradual increase from 5 to 50 pesewas for cars and similar adjustments made for other vehicle types could have generated $60 million over the last 10 years.
A global road toll study conducted by the World Bank ascertained that toll rates in Ghana are currently about one twentieth of what exists in similar low income countries. It is important car rates are increased to 30 Ghana pesewas from 2010, then 50 pesewas from 2011, and GHﾢ1 from 2012. Should this happen, and further revenue leakages blocked, and current traffic growth are maintained, cumulative receipts for the next 11 years up to 2020 will exceed US$150 million. This is adequate to finance the construction of parallel service roads, asphalt overlay, and interchanges to enhance traffic flow.
Other issues to be addressed include the management of the tolling facilities by operators whose only responsibility is to collect tolls while road maintenance and management remains the responsibility of Ghana Highway Authority (GHA). Similar to the practice in developed countries, it is important that GHA recruits highway management services firms that will not only collect tolls but also undertake technical work on the entire carriageway.
There is an urgent need to institute a body to regulate all toll roads in Ghana. The Ministrys responsibility must be handed over to a body, established by an act of Parliament, mandated to act as a separate National Road Toll Authority not only for the Motorway but also all other roads in Ghana. This will ensure that politicians are taken out of the decision making process in determining the level of rates.
The thinking underpinning management of the motorway must move away from treating it as a social service managed by a bureaucracy and funded by the tax payer, towards a more commercial approach which imposes a form of surrogate market discipline or competition, much like other utilities.
Enforcing Executive Instrument on the Motorway
In March 1973, an Executive Instrument was passed declaring the Accra - Tema Motorway as a legal entity with prescribed tolls for various categories of vehicles (EI 46 of 1973). The EI, which was not enforced, must be revised in the light of present developments, not limiting it to the carriageway, but including the Ashaiman interchange and the entire right-of-way. This is necessary because state institutions are unable to protect the Motorway. In 2004, residents of East Legon brought a legal action and won the case against the Town and Country Planning Department for re-zoning and allocating parts of the motorway to developers.
Future development
Given the rapid traffic growth on the motorway, many factories have encroached on the right-of-way and opened up access routes directly onto the pavement. It is important that design features and tolling systems should take into account the peculiar needs and constraints of the industries to create access to their work places. If reasonable and convenient alternative routes are not available, there is likely to be agitation by users. There is the need therefore to construct frontage roads running parallel to the Motorway that will provide access to homes and businesses that have been cut off.
A gradual increase in road tolls will yield adequate funds to finance asphalt overlay over the concrete road, provide bright street lights, finance expansion of the existing two lanes to three in either direction, provide frontage/service roads running parallel to the motorway, and finance the construction of two more interchanges, one at the Abattoir and the other at Trasacco Valley. The Ministry of Roads and Highways and the GHA must lead towards the preparation of an investment plan and better management models.
The new Lands Commission and national security have shown strong commitment to preserve the motorway by advertising for the removal of properties that fall within 50 meters (150 feet) from the center line. The Government must be highly commended for this action. Unfortunately, 150 feet is not adequate to support future expansion and must be increased to 250 feet. Nevertheless, Ghanaians must throw their weight behind the efforts of the authorities to improve conditions along the corridor.
If we do not solve this problem today, we shall be creating bigger problems for ourselves in the near future. It would cost about $300 million to construct a similar road, considering its features and embankments. As a developing country, we have the benefit of learning from other people and countries to solve our problems. The downgrading of the motorway to a dual carriageway is imminent, but Government must lead the way in avoiding further crisis on the corridor.
Author
Charles Boakye
Institute for Infrastructure Development, Accra
cboakye@infrastructureghana.org
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