Transportation Management Challenges in Ghana: A Study of Three Selected Companies in the Sekondi-Takoradi Metropolis
Effective transport systems are critical in the socio-economic development of nations. Globally, there is a wide recognition of the need to put in place adequate measures to achieve sustainable transport systems for the greater good of society. To do this, requires an awareness of the myriad of challenges faced by stakeholders in the transport sector. Against this background, the researchers sought to explore the transportation challenges companies in Ghana face using Sekondi-Takoradi Metropolis (STM) as a case. The study adopted the mixed methods approach with descriptive survey as the design. A total of 85 employees of three companies in the Metropolis was involved in the study through census data collection method. The research instruments used were questionnaire and interview guide whilst percentages, means, standard deviation and thematic analytical tools were employed for the study. The study discovered that the greatest transport management challenge in the Metropolis is the general lack of transport management experts. Other challenges include high cost of transport operations, poor vehicle maintenance, ineffective transport policies in organizations and weak transport infrastructure in the Metropolis. It is recommended that companies in STM should put in place proper training and development programs to address the skill gaps in inherent in their transport management systems.
Daniel Odoom, Christian Kyeremeh, Kwame Owusu Afram Owusu-Ansah, Stephen Tawiah
Employee retention in institutions of higher learning: A study of some selected university colleges in Ghana
The study investigated the issue of employee retention across private tertiary institutions in Ghana with a focus on Senior Members of some selected university colleges in the Ashanti Region. The mixed-method approach was used in a descriptive survey design. In all, 111 respondents were selected from four university colleges using purposive and convenience sampling methods. Interview guide and questionnaire were relied upon in collecting data for the study, with frequencies, percentages, Kruskal-Wallis test and thematic analyses as analytical tools. The study observed that the expectations of Senior Members before accepting employment in the selected institutions include getting a high salary, better working conditions, more training opportunities, career development opportunities, a favourable working environment as well as obtaining some form of recognition and appreciation in the institutions. Again, several factors such as better remuneration, care and concern from employers, more training and development opportunities, better promotion system, conducive working environment, and increased employee engagement influenced retention of Senior Members in the institutions. However, no significant differences were observed in the views of Senior Members (academic and non-academic) of the selected institutions on the factors influencing employee retention. The study recommends that HR Units of the selected universities should effectively collaborate with the HRM experts of the universities to design fair and proper training and development programs to motivate employees to stay in the organizations.
Augustine Osei Boakye, Bernard Arpoh-Baah, Daniel Odoom, KOAO Afram, Prince Addai, David Agyemang
There are worries concerning the effects of the conflicts on national and sub-regional security and stability (Aapengnuo, 1996), especially with reference to economic growth and development. Aapengnuo (1996) observed that almost seventy percent (70%) of the inhabitants live below the national poverty line, compared to the national average of 27%. Since the 1980s the dark cloud of the notorious “northern conflicts” has been a public issue. It reached its peak in the Dagomba-Konkomba conflict during the early part of 1994 (Kombat, 2008). The Bunkpurugu/Yunyoo District was also engulfed in inter-ethnic conflicts in 1985. The conflict began when Bimoba (Moab) and Komba (a section of Konkombas) clashed at the Bimbagu Market. Described by the media as “The Mango Conflict,” the Bimoba-Komba conflict occasioned widespread killings and immeasurable burning of houses (Kombat, 2008).
CLETUS K MBOWURA, FELIX TY LONGI, AWAISU I BRAIMAH, BERNICE OTENG, FAUSTINA E GANAA
Peace Operations in Northern Ghana: A Comparative Analysis of State-Sponsored Peace Operations in the Dagbon, Konkomba-Nanumba and Nawuri-Gonja Conflicts in the Northern Region of Ghana
It is axiomatic that state-sponsored peace operations are conducted in Ghana aimed at combating conflicts. In the Dagbon intra-ethnic conflict and theNawuri-Gonja and KonkombaNanumbainter-ethnic conflicts in present-day Northern Region of Ghana, state-sponsored peace operations were marshalled to either prevent the outbreak of conflicts, de-escalate tensions or combat the conflicts to ensure law and order. Some of the security measures rolled out as part of the peace operations in these conflicts included strategies such as a combined military-police patrols, mounting checkpoints to prevent the inflow of arms, the imposition of state of emergency, increasing security presence in the volatile areas, among others. This paper explores the security arrangements in the peace operations in theDagbon, Konkomba-Nanumba and Nawuri-Gonja conflicts in the Northern Region of Ghana. Blending written and unwritten data together in an orthodox historical tradition, this study argues that the measures were not entirely successful.
The Gods, Spirits and Magical Powers at War: Reflections on the Psychological Dimension of the Nawuri-Gonja Conflict, Northern Ghana
In 1991 and 1992, the Nawuri and the Gonja clashed over allodial rights in lands in the Nawuri area of the present-day Kpandai District in the Northern Region of Ghana. The conflict was cataclysmic, and throughout its conduct, there were psychological dimensions. In all the events before the conflict and throughout the phases of the conflict, metaphysical and superstitious resources were utilized and became the fulcrum in the conduct of the conflict. As the conflict occurred in the part of Ghana where superstition and belief in spiritual powers was an integral part of people’s psychology, the Nawuri and the Gonja naturally provided space for the gods, spirits, and magical powers in the conduct of the conflict. With an ingrained philosophy that empiricism is controlled by metaphysical forces, the Nawuri and the Gonja mixed superstition in every aspect of the conflict. This paper examined the extent to which superstitious beliefs played a catalytical psychological role in the Nawuri-Gonja conflict. It analyzed the space provided for spiritual forces–the gods, spirits, and magical powers–and the extent to which these psychological factors determined the course of the conflict. The paper argued that it is impossible to reconstruct a cogent narrative of the conflict–both in terms of its conduct and the scale–without recourse to the psychological factors.
Cletus Kwaku Mbowura, Awaisu Inurana Braimah, Anasechor Orlapu
Political Economy of Peace: Theoretical and Conceptual Perspectives, and Implications for Ghana's Peace Architecture
The paper contributes to the burgeoning argument that there exists a relationship between peace and development, and that this relationship is relevant for both political and economic governance. The pursuit of stability, peace, and security is paramount for sovereign states as they are foundational for a nation's well-being, development, and the prosperity of its citizens. Political economy of peace examines the intricate connections between economic and political factors and institutions, and the attainment of these essential objectives. Building on this conceptualisation, authors problematised peace, and hypothesised that there exists a relationship between peace, economy and politics. The paper examined this phenomenon, drawing on theoretical, conceptual and empirical perspectives. Employing exploratory study design, the paper combined in-depth interviews involving 10 participants with secondary data for the analysis. The analysis revealed that peace has become a major concern due to economic, political and ethical dilemmas in most sovereignty states, and that peace is a function of economic and political considerations.
Gbensuglo Alidu Bukari, Cletus Kwaku Mbowura, Anasenchor Orlapu, Shanunu Zackaria
Society of Research Administration International
The Youth And Rituals In Post-Conflict Rebuilding: The Psychosocial Dimension Of Post-Conflict Rebuilding In The Kpandai District In Contemporary Times
Northern Ghana has gone through decades of inter-ethnic and intra-ethnic conflicts since the 1980s. The present-day Kpandai District was ravaged by an inter-ethnic conflict in 1991/1992, between the Nawuri/Nchumuru and the Gonja, over allodial rights. In both the physical confrontations and rebuilding processes, the youth and rituals played critical roles. However, there is hardly any systematic analysis of the role of the youth and rituals in the post-conflict rebuilding scheme in the Kpandai District. This paper analyzes the roles played by traditional rituals and the Nawuri youth (Nawuri Professionals’ Association, NPA) in post-conflict rebuilding schemes in Kpandai. Using the traditional historical method of reconstructing a narrative from primary and secondary sources, this paper examines the psychosocial dimension and underlines the place of local resources in post-conflict rebuilding in the Kpandai District in the Northern Region of Ghana. It uses the Nawuri Professionals’ Association (NPA)–a youth group of the Nawuri–as a case study. The paper argues that the youth and the use of rituals as psychosocial factors serve as effective variables for post-conflict rebuilding of Nawuri society in the Kpandai District.
Cletus Kwaku Mbowura, Sulemana Iddrisu, Gbensuglo Alidu Bukari
Autochthonous, conquest and overlordship rights in land: Constructing allodial rights in the Kpandai area in Northern Ghana in the pre-colonial times
In 1991-92, a conflict over the allodial title to lands in the Kpandai area broke out between the Nawuri and the Gonja, prompting the necessity to interrogate the concept of allodial rights. In Northern Ghana in general, allodial rights in land are ethnicized-the right of absolute ownership of land resided in an ethnic group. Nonetheless, the modes of acquisition of allodial rights in land differ from place to place, though generally they are embedded in the historical traditions of societies. By and large, the modes of acquisition of allodial rights in land by an ethnic group are determined by variables such as autochthonous and conquest rights, lease and gift. This study interrogates the ownership of Kpandai in the pre-colonial period, using, as determinants, tools such as autochthony, conquest, and I overlordship. It argues that allodial rights in lands in the Kpandai in the pre-colonial period resided in the Nawuri by virtue of rights of autochthony and autonomy.
Candidate Selection and Nomination Methods: A Historical Review and Analysis of Presidential Primaries in Ghana’s Fourth Republic, 1992-2020
This paper analyzes the selection of presidential candidates in primary elections by political parties in Ghana’s Fourth Republic. It examines the formal intra-party rules and regulations that govern primary elections for the selection of party presidential candidate, and how this enhances Ghana’s democracy. Given that interpretation is central to this paper, exploratory case design is adopted. Drawing from documented material and semi-structured interviews, the results of analysis suggest that the intra-party primary election rules and regulations of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) and New Patriotic Party (NPP) find expression in the electoral laws as contained in the 1992 Constitution of Ghana. The results show that there is no much variation in the intra-party rules of the two parties in their selection of presidential candidates. Also, both the NDC and NPP use closed system of primaries (this involved only registered party members who are elected and appointed executives, party appointees and party elders). The only variation is explained in the nomination and filing fees. The results of analysis further explained that the NDC and NPP have both departed from ‘National Delegates’ Congress System of presidential candidate selection to a ‘Nationwide Voting System.’The study also revealed that though, the NDC adopted an open primary system in 2015, it has since reversed to the closed system of primary election in 2019. The study concludes that the ways in which political parties select candidates play a crucial role in shaping political debates and politics in Ghana. The paper therefore recommends that the intra-party politics, primary …
Gbensuglo Alidu Bukari, Cletus Kwaku Mbowura, Mathew Lobnibe Arah
No Youth, No Conflict: The Youth Factor in the Nawuri-Gonja Conflict in Northern Ghana
In the 1970s, ethnic youth associations sprang up in Northern Region of Ghanaborne out of the local concerns and desires to stimulate community development through self-help progammes. This led to the crystallization of ethnic youth associations, including the Gonja Youth Association, Konkomba Youth Association, Dagomba Youth Association, Chamba Youth Association, Nawuri Youth Association, Nanumba Youth Association. These associations dominated the local socio-political space in the region, and spearheaded the politics of self-help and ethnic identity. Few years after their formation, ethnic youth associations had become powerful organizations in Northern Ghana to the extent that their activities began to push ethnic groups to the brink of conflicts. Using a historical approach that blended data from documentary and non-documentary sources, this study examined the socio-political activism of Nawuri and Gonja youths and youth groups as well as the participation of the youth in the Nawuri-Gonja conflict of 1991/1992. It also examines the role of Nawuri youth groups in peacebuilding after the conflict. The paper argues that Nawuri and Gonja youth groups were catalytical to the Nawuri-Gonja conflict and post-conflict peacebuilding.