Ghana Shines At 21st Commonwealth Summit �As More Ghanaians Grab Post

The sharp brain, the capacity and the leadership skills associated with Ghanaian intellectuals was put on display at the just-ended 21st Commonwealth Heads of Governments meeting in Perth, Australia, when more Ghanaians got appointed and elected to sensitive committees of the Commonwealth. First in the league of these astute Ghanaians was governance and democracy expert, Dr. Emmanuel Akwetey, who is serving on the Commonwealth Eminent Persons Group, whose responsibilities are, among others, prepare a report on how to make the Commonwealth responsive to the current times and has since prepared and submitted a 126-page report. Some of the issues contained in the report which were deliberated upon by the Heads of Governments was food security, youth enterprises for Commonwealth countries and the rule of law. The mention is also made of Ghana�s Foreign Minister, Alhaji Muhammed Mumuni, who chairs a nine-member ministerial Action Group. Similarly, he is leading this group to suggest reforms for the Commonwealth which can be very responsive to meet the needs of member states. Incidentally, Ghana has chaired this group for many years. On the issue of health, a Ghanaian plastic surgeon at the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital, Dr. Ohenebah Owusu Danso, is the secretary for the Commonwealth Medical Association. His job description has been to make policy proposals to the various Foreign Ministers who are to brief their Presidents and Prime Ministers to adopt those recommendations. For example, at the just ended meeting, he compiled a report which was among others to ask government to increase funding and training for medical and health workers.