Electoral violence often perpetrated by political party vigilante groups in Ghana has been a majo... more Electoral violence often perpetrated by political party vigilante groups in Ghana has been a major setback to Ghana’s drive towards democratic maturity. In particular, acts and incidence of violence have been alarming during parliamentary by-elections at the constituency level, which have often led to major casualties like deaths, injuries, destruction of property, inter-party conflicts, as well as social and communal tensions. Yet, very little attention has been given to electoral violence and vigilantism during parliamentary bye-elections. This study fills this gap by drawing on interviews, general observations, and archival sources to examine the causative factors for the persistence of parliamentary by-election violence, at the constituency level. The central questions addressed in the paper are: what is the motivation for the involvement of political party vigilante groups in parliamentary by-elections and associated conflicts?; what strategies do political parties use to mobil...
Social capital is a slippery concept that signifies different things for different authors, and i... more Social capital is a slippery concept that signifies different things for different authors, and its uses are not always consistent. Despite this lack of consensus, most scholars agree on its basic idea: “it’s not what you know, it’s who you know.” Participation or membership in social networks and voluntary organizations creates norms and values such as trust, cooperation, and reciprocity that lead to productive state, institutional performance, and democratic communities. Social interactions and connections expand access to information and political ideas, nurture active citizens, stimulate individual participation in politics, collective decision-making, and policy formulation, which increase governmental accountability. In recent years, civil society actors in Africa have been emboldened to build social capital in response to restrictions and attacks on civil and political liberties, creeping authoritarianism, constitutional manipulations, and lack of governmental accountability....
Ghana is endowed with natural resources including forests, minerals, water and grazing lands whic... more Ghana is endowed with natural resources including forests, minerals, water and grazing lands which have made significant contributions to national development. At the same time, competing demands for these resources have created many conflicts that have proven difficult to manage. This paper seeks to further understand the challenges associated with resource use in Ghana, in particular the nature of conflicts and conflict resolution mechanisms under two joint police-military operations: Operation Cow Leg, which deals with long-running conflicts between Fulani herdsmen and local farmers over grazing rights; and Operation Vanguard, which addresses conflicts between the state and those involved in illegal small-scale mining popularly known as galamsey. Drawing on the literature on international peacekeeping, and using data collected via qualitative methods, the paper argues that while joint police-miliary operations such as Cow Leg and Vanguard are necessary, their implementation has f...
Journal of African & Asian Local Government Studies, 2014
This paper contributes to ongoing debates about the importance and challenges of conducting local... more This paper contributes to ongoing debates about the importance and challenges of conducting local level elections in Africa. The political atmosphere of Ghana's 2010 local government elections was characterised by apparent uncertainties: controversies and mistrust over the location of District Capital and boundary demarcations, postponement of election date, threat of boycott of the election, lack of funds and legal challenges, fear of outright cancellation of the election and accusations and counter-accusation among key actors. These uncertainties created anxiety among aspiring candidates in particular and electorates in general. This is an empirical study seeking to examine the extent to which these uncertainties affected voter participation in the Asante Akim South District in the Ashanti Region of Ghana. The study was based on interviews with 50 respondents upon which conclusions were drawn. The study highlights five major findings. First, the uncertainties surrounding the e...
China Quarterly of International Strategic Studies, 2018
Chinese officials often claim that their country’s massive involvement in Africa is an example of... more Chinese officials often claim that their country’s massive involvement in Africa is an example of “South-South cooperation” with tremendous potential to unlock Africa’s development prospects. They maintain that China’s economic involvement in the continent is less exploitative and more relevant to local needs than the North’s. Starting from a relatively small amount of investment in the early 1990s, China has become Africa’s biggest economic partner. Yet, as the United Nations Conference on Trade and Investment (UNCTAD) and other studies have shown, Chinese trade and investment in Africa are reproducing African countries as exporters of raw materials and importers of manufactured goods. This paper deconstructs the uncritical view of China’s development cooperation with Africa as “South-South” cooperation, highlighting its potential tensions, incongruities, downsides, and dilemmas. It demonstrates both good and bad news. Recent data show that despite the slowdown of the Chinese econo...
China Quarterly of International Strategic Studies, 2017
Chinese officials tend to claim that Chinese economic and security activities in Africa are based... more Chinese officials tend to claim that Chinese economic and security activities in Africa are based on the principles of equality and mutual benefits (win-win), thus they are generally beneficial to the nation-building and development of African countries. Drawing on the case study of Ghana, this article argues that China’s commitment to enhancing the capacity of national security agencies, fighting against piracy, strengthening maritime security, and promoting intelligence sharing in West Africa have been, in general, constructive. However, anti-Chinese sentiments mainly triggered by the involvement of Chinese migrants in illegal gold mining activities in Ghana and other West African countries have been destructive, with serious security ramifications for not only Ghana, but also the entire region that has a history of violent conflicts closely related to extraction of natural resources.
The problem of lack of social trust (or interpersonal trust) in Africa remains a concern. This ar... more The problem of lack of social trust (or interpersonal trust) in Africa remains a concern. This article describes and analyses why Ghana faces a challenge of low social trust in spite of the progress made in both political and economic development, especially in the past two decades. Building on the existing body of knowledge, which often points to either economic or non-economic factors as major determinants of social trust, the article argues that the problem of low levels of social trust is anchored to a hybrid of both economic and non-economic factors. The failure of the government to reduce socio-economic inequalities and unemployment along with lack of strong institutions to enforce contracts explains the deficit in social trust in Ghana. The article brings to the fore the importance of structural and historical factors, notably the legacies of the slave trade and colonial rule, and social exclusion as critical to understanding the problem of low social trust. It concludes by highlighting how Ghana could develop social trust among its citizens.
Research Review of the Institute of African Studies, 2007
Demographic trends show that about 50 percent of Africa's population is below the age of 18 ... more Demographic trends show that about 50 percent of Africa's population is below the age of 18 years and an extraordinary high percentage of it between the ages of 15-25. This makes Africa the most youthful continent in the world. Despite this many young people have little or ...
BACKGROUND: GHANA'S POLITICAL HISTORY AND REGIME TYPE Ghana is a unitary Republic with a Con... more BACKGROUND: GHANA'S POLITICAL HISTORY AND REGIME TYPE Ghana is a unitary Republic with a Constitution based on the model of the United States of America. The 1992 Constitution stipulates that the state is based on a quasi-executive presidential system of government. However, unlike the American presidential system which maintains a separation of powers, the Ghanaian Constitution stipulates that a majority of ministers of state in Ghana be appointed from Parliament. The principle of separation of powers is nevertheless a central feature of the 1992 Constitution, and is supposed to promote checks and balances. However, as already indicated, the principle is undermined by the fusion of the Executive and Legislature in that the Constitution stipulates that the majority of ministers must be sitting Members of Parliament. The independence of the judiciary is also restricted because there is no upper limit to the number of Justices of the Supreme Court that can be appointed. Five key ...
Transregional Center for Democratic Studies, the New …, 2004
Ghana is made up of diverse socio-cultural groups. Consequently, the management of ethno-regional... more Ghana is made up of diverse socio-cultural groups. Consequently, the management of ethno-regional and other conflicts as well as nation building has been very high on the agenda of post independence governments. This paper examines how Ghana has managed its ...
Electoral violence often perpetrated by political party vigilante groups in Ghana has been a majo... more Electoral violence often perpetrated by political party vigilante groups in Ghana has been a major setback to Ghana’s drive towards democratic maturity. In particular, acts and incidence of violence have been alarming during parliamentary by-elections at the constituency level, which have often led to major casualties like deaths, injuries, destruction of property, inter-party conflicts, as well as social and communal tensions. Yet, very little attention has been given to electoral violence and vigilantism during parliamentary bye-elections. This study fills this gap by drawing on interviews, general observations, and archival sources to examine the causative factors for the persistence of parliamentary by-election violence, at the constituency level. The central questions addressed in the paper are: what is the motivation for the involvement of political party vigilante groups in parliamentary by-elections and associated conflicts?; what strategies do political parties use to mobil...
Social capital is a slippery concept that signifies different things for different authors, and i... more Social capital is a slippery concept that signifies different things for different authors, and its uses are not always consistent. Despite this lack of consensus, most scholars agree on its basic idea: “it’s not what you know, it’s who you know.” Participation or membership in social networks and voluntary organizations creates norms and values such as trust, cooperation, and reciprocity that lead to productive state, institutional performance, and democratic communities. Social interactions and connections expand access to information and political ideas, nurture active citizens, stimulate individual participation in politics, collective decision-making, and policy formulation, which increase governmental accountability. In recent years, civil society actors in Africa have been emboldened to build social capital in response to restrictions and attacks on civil and political liberties, creeping authoritarianism, constitutional manipulations, and lack of governmental accountability....
Ghana is endowed with natural resources including forests, minerals, water and grazing lands whic... more Ghana is endowed with natural resources including forests, minerals, water and grazing lands which have made significant contributions to national development. At the same time, competing demands for these resources have created many conflicts that have proven difficult to manage. This paper seeks to further understand the challenges associated with resource use in Ghana, in particular the nature of conflicts and conflict resolution mechanisms under two joint police-military operations: Operation Cow Leg, which deals with long-running conflicts between Fulani herdsmen and local farmers over grazing rights; and Operation Vanguard, which addresses conflicts between the state and those involved in illegal small-scale mining popularly known as galamsey. Drawing on the literature on international peacekeeping, and using data collected via qualitative methods, the paper argues that while joint police-miliary operations such as Cow Leg and Vanguard are necessary, their implementation has f...
Journal of African & Asian Local Government Studies, 2014
This paper contributes to ongoing debates about the importance and challenges of conducting local... more This paper contributes to ongoing debates about the importance and challenges of conducting local level elections in Africa. The political atmosphere of Ghana's 2010 local government elections was characterised by apparent uncertainties: controversies and mistrust over the location of District Capital and boundary demarcations, postponement of election date, threat of boycott of the election, lack of funds and legal challenges, fear of outright cancellation of the election and accusations and counter-accusation among key actors. These uncertainties created anxiety among aspiring candidates in particular and electorates in general. This is an empirical study seeking to examine the extent to which these uncertainties affected voter participation in the Asante Akim South District in the Ashanti Region of Ghana. The study was based on interviews with 50 respondents upon which conclusions were drawn. The study highlights five major findings. First, the uncertainties surrounding the e...
China Quarterly of International Strategic Studies, 2018
Chinese officials often claim that their country’s massive involvement in Africa is an example of... more Chinese officials often claim that their country’s massive involvement in Africa is an example of “South-South cooperation” with tremendous potential to unlock Africa’s development prospects. They maintain that China’s economic involvement in the continent is less exploitative and more relevant to local needs than the North’s. Starting from a relatively small amount of investment in the early 1990s, China has become Africa’s biggest economic partner. Yet, as the United Nations Conference on Trade and Investment (UNCTAD) and other studies have shown, Chinese trade and investment in Africa are reproducing African countries as exporters of raw materials and importers of manufactured goods. This paper deconstructs the uncritical view of China’s development cooperation with Africa as “South-South” cooperation, highlighting its potential tensions, incongruities, downsides, and dilemmas. It demonstrates both good and bad news. Recent data show that despite the slowdown of the Chinese econo...
China Quarterly of International Strategic Studies, 2017
Chinese officials tend to claim that Chinese economic and security activities in Africa are based... more Chinese officials tend to claim that Chinese economic and security activities in Africa are based on the principles of equality and mutual benefits (win-win), thus they are generally beneficial to the nation-building and development of African countries. Drawing on the case study of Ghana, this article argues that China’s commitment to enhancing the capacity of national security agencies, fighting against piracy, strengthening maritime security, and promoting intelligence sharing in West Africa have been, in general, constructive. However, anti-Chinese sentiments mainly triggered by the involvement of Chinese migrants in illegal gold mining activities in Ghana and other West African countries have been destructive, with serious security ramifications for not only Ghana, but also the entire region that has a history of violent conflicts closely related to extraction of natural resources.
The problem of lack of social trust (or interpersonal trust) in Africa remains a concern. This ar... more The problem of lack of social trust (or interpersonal trust) in Africa remains a concern. This article describes and analyses why Ghana faces a challenge of low social trust in spite of the progress made in both political and economic development, especially in the past two decades. Building on the existing body of knowledge, which often points to either economic or non-economic factors as major determinants of social trust, the article argues that the problem of low levels of social trust is anchored to a hybrid of both economic and non-economic factors. The failure of the government to reduce socio-economic inequalities and unemployment along with lack of strong institutions to enforce contracts explains the deficit in social trust in Ghana. The article brings to the fore the importance of structural and historical factors, notably the legacies of the slave trade and colonial rule, and social exclusion as critical to understanding the problem of low social trust. It concludes by highlighting how Ghana could develop social trust among its citizens.
Research Review of the Institute of African Studies, 2007
Demographic trends show that about 50 percent of Africa's population is below the age of 18 ... more Demographic trends show that about 50 percent of Africa's population is below the age of 18 years and an extraordinary high percentage of it between the ages of 15-25. This makes Africa the most youthful continent in the world. Despite this many young people have little or ...
BACKGROUND: GHANA'S POLITICAL HISTORY AND REGIME TYPE Ghana is a unitary Republic with a Con... more BACKGROUND: GHANA'S POLITICAL HISTORY AND REGIME TYPE Ghana is a unitary Republic with a Constitution based on the model of the United States of America. The 1992 Constitution stipulates that the state is based on a quasi-executive presidential system of government. However, unlike the American presidential system which maintains a separation of powers, the Ghanaian Constitution stipulates that a majority of ministers of state in Ghana be appointed from Parliament. The principle of separation of powers is nevertheless a central feature of the 1992 Constitution, and is supposed to promote checks and balances. However, as already indicated, the principle is undermined by the fusion of the Executive and Legislature in that the Constitution stipulates that the majority of ministers must be sitting Members of Parliament. The independence of the judiciary is also restricted because there is no upper limit to the number of Justices of the Supreme Court that can be appointed. Five key ...
Transregional Center for Democratic Studies, the New …, 2004
Ghana is made up of diverse socio-cultural groups. Consequently, the management of ethno-regional... more Ghana is made up of diverse socio-cultural groups. Consequently, the management of ethno-regional and other conflicts as well as nation building has been very high on the agenda of post independence governments. This paper examines how Ghana has managed its ...
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