Department of Political Science
Permanent URI for this collectionhttp://197.255.125.131:4000/handle/123456789/4901
Browse
88 results
Search Results
Item Public Private Partnership And The Performance Of Public Enterprises In Ghana: A Case Study Of The Intercity STC Coaches Limited.(University of Ghana, 2021-12) Umar, S. N.Public enterprises are used by governments across the world to deliver public goods and services. However, public enterprises, especially, those in developing countries have faced challenges in delivering on their mandate. In response to this, public private partnership has been adopted as a reform strategy to deal with the inefficiencies of these entities. In Ghana, the management of Intercity STC Coaches Limited, in 2015, entered a public private partnership arrangement to revive the operations of the company. Against this backdrop, this study was conducted to assess the impact of Public Private Partnership on the performance of Intercity STC Limited. A qualitative research approach was used to collect and analyze the data of the study. The study employed the purposive and simple random sampling techniques to select the management and the customers of ISTC respectively. The primary data was collected through personal interviews, and secondary data were retrieved from journal articles, books, and reports. The study found that, the public private partnership arrangement has led to an improvement in the quantity of services in terms of fleet size, number of routes and terminals. It has also led to an improvement in the comfort, safety and availability of service. However, the arrangement has not led to a significant improvement in the profit of the ISTC. The study further found out that, despite an increase in the fleet size, the ISTC still cannot compete with the biggest private transport companies. Additionally, the study found out that the partnership arrangement has brought about improvement in the convenience, comfort and safety of service delivery. However, the closure of the land borders because of COVID-19, high operational cost, and the inability to procure new buses have affected the operations of ISTC. The study recommends among others the need for ISTC to improve upon its maintenance culture in order to prevent the frequent breakdown of the buses.Item The Politics Of Managing Epidemics As Global Security Threats: The Case Of Covid-19 And Ghana.(University of Ghana, 2022-04) Cizaro, K.A.The study analysed the politics of managing epidemic threats with Ghana as the case in point. The securitization theory served as the framework. It was a qualitative study and data was sourced from both secondary and interview sources. It found that Ghana’s response to the Corona Virus Infectious Disease (COVID-19) threat was to protect its citizens unfulfilled its responsibilities under the World Health Organization (WHO) and Section 169 of the Public Health Act, 2012 (Act 851) in harmony with WHO’s IHR 2005. The 1994 Emergency Powers Act 1994 (Act 472) rolled back civil liberties and imposed autocratic policies. Ghana’s role in limiting the 2013 Ebola outbreak in West Africa equipped it with vital skills in pandemic management. Laboratories within and outside the GHS were ascribed to provide testing for COVID-19 raising the testing laboratories from 2 to 16 by April 2020 to reduce facility shortfalls; and the private sector, Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs), and the global community aided. The regime of COVID-19 was adversely affected by muddles, delusion, and myths that increased vaccine apathy and sapped pandemic rules zeal. The 2020 Elections and political expediency adversely impacted effective COVID-19 control. The huge financial mobilization contracts and supplies engendered by the pandemic promoted corruption. Contracts were awarded without complying with contract and procurement laws, costs of contracts were bloated, contracts were awarded without tenders mostly to unregistered companies, huge sums of funds were not accounted for, unused funds were not returned to government covers, beneficiaries of contracts and source of some fund were not stated, and healthcare and allied workers were not paid wages often. The sleaze resulted in a decrease in citizens’ trust, approval, and interest in pandemic activism. The study concluded that sociocultural and political culture ills such as superstition and corruption dysfunctional impacted the effective and efficient management of pandemics. It recommended high hygiene etiquette and good housing outlays, pro-health government expenditure, counter-misperception and superstitious media, empowerment of Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) with corruption oversight powers, and greater international donors and accountability.Item The Politics Of Trade Disputes In The Fourth Republic: The Case Of Ghana And Nigeria.(University of Ghana, 2022-07) Akoeda, J.The relation between Ghana and Nigeria over the years can be described as oscillatory because of the occasional twist and turn. Notably, trade dispute was one of the challenges that marred the relationship between the two countries. The intermittent trade disputes between the two countries triggered the quest of the researcher to assess the fundamental driving forces of the impasse, identify the politico-economic effects of the disputes on both countries and provide some recommendations to dealing with the problem. Relevant related literature was reviewed thematically and International Regime theory was used to underpin the research. The study used a qualitative research approach to gather in-depth data from respondents through interviews and observations. Thematic analysis was used as an approach for data interpretation and discussion. The relevant literature and the findings revealed that the inconsistencies of ECOWAS protocols with the national trade policies, the use of protectionist economic policies such as the “prohibited goods” policy by Nigeria against Ghana and the implementation of GIPC Act 2013 (865), border closure, and lockdown of Nigerian retail shops were some of the fundamental driving forces of the trade disputes between the countries in the fourth republic. Economically, the occasional trade disturbances led to the loss of capital and revenue of traders from both sides. This phenomenon triggered the call by some Nigerian politicians and official to sever diplomatic ties with Ghana. Notwithstanding these challenges, there was an initiative of both governments to finding a lasting solution to the menaceItem The Contribution Of The Ghana Police Service To The Promotion Of Peaceful Elections In Ghana: A Case Of The Fourth Republic.(University Of Ghana, 2021-12) Mensah, H.Ghana has gained both local and international recognition for conducting peaceful, credible, free, and fair elections in West Africa. The Ghana Police Service has been a core stakeholder in the conduct of credible, free, fair, and peaceful elections in Ghana. The current study examined the contribution of the Ghana Police Service to peaceful elections within the Fourth Republic of Ghana. The study also examined the challenges facing the Ghana Police Service in contributing to peaceful Ghanaian elections and recommends solutions to such existing challenges. The mixed research approach and descriptive research design were adopted for the study. The study also made use of the key informant sampling and simple random sampling techniques to sample respondents for the study. The primary data was collected using questionnaires and semi-structured interviews while secondary data was obtained from existing reports, journals, and books on the subject matter. The data were analyzed with the use of Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) and Microsoft Excel into frequencies, percentages, means, and standard deviations. The findings of the study indicated that the contributions of the Ghana Police Service to the promotion of peaceful Ghanaian elections within the Fourth Republic were through maintaining public order, protecting electoral materials and officers, and protection of lives and physical structures associated with the conduct of elections. The study also revealed that the challenges facing the Ghana Police Service in contributing to peaceful Ghanaian elections within the Fourth Republic include: political intimidations and influence, shortages of logistics and personnel, limited funds and logistics for security operations. Based on the findings of the study, recommendations for restructuring the recruitment process of the Ghana Police Service, a constitutional amendment to allow for the appointment of the Inspector General of Police by an Independent body, and early release of funds for electoral security operations by the government among others were made.Item Politics Of Public Transportation In Ghana: A Case Study Of The Aayalolo Bus Transit(University Of Ghana, 2021-12) Ani-Johnson, F.Transportation is critical to economic development and the development of human settlements (Mbara, 2002). Transport is a critical factor in combating poverty and social justice priorities, as well as providing adequate access to public education, health services, employment, work, and leisure – all of which are essential to the lives of all residents (Rittner & Kirk, 1995; Sanchez, 1999; Mbara, 2002). Effective transportation networks are thus required to promote socioeconomic growth, specifically the convergence of rural and urban economies, the promotion of regional integration, the attraction of foreign investment, and the achievement of global markets. Against this backdrop, the study seeks to investigate the State's role in public transportation in Ghana, as well as the reasons for the State's funding of the Aayalolo BRT scheme. To achieve the study's objectives, data or information was gathered from the various stakeholders of Aayalolo BRT via a structured interview. According to the information gathered during the interview, the role of the state is to ensure that the country's transportation system is safe, secure, reliable, and efficient. Again, it was revealed that the goal of the state funding of Aayalolo was to reduce congestion, improve Accra's transportation system, and create job opportunities, rather than for political gain. Furthermore, Aayalolo BRT was tasked with running a safe and dependable bus transportation system. Finally, the Aayalolo BRT System management team mentioned that the company receives no state assistance. The following recommendations were made based on the information gathered during the interview: To begin, the government should devise a policy that provides a fuel subsidy to public transportation operators such as the Aayalolo as a form of assistance. Again, the study recommended that the Ghanaian government build more roads, rails, and ports, as well as repair damaged roads, to ensure a more efficient, reliable, and effective public transportation system. Finally, no political party in the country should politicize the transportation system.Item The Political Economy Of Gender Equity In Tax Reforms In Ghana: An Assessment Of The Tampon Tax(University Of Ghana, 2021-12) Owusu, F.S.Gender equality and taxation have become topical issues in the development policy debate on public finance, human rights, and government’s obligations to its citizens. Studies have shown that ideas about gender roles influence how economic policies and tax systems are organized. However, tax systems rarely respond to these gender biases, despite several reforms of development and pro-poor policies implemented by the government. The failure of policies to address biases in the tax system is often attributed to a ‘lack of political will’, but the underlying reasons for the poor implementation of reforms are rarely examined. Against this backdrop, the study adopted the Department for International Development’s (DfID) Drivers of Change (DoC) model to examine the underlying constraints against reforms in tampon tax in Ghana and the opportunities and incentives available. The study employed a qualitative design methodology. Using semi-structured interviews and purposive sampling, respondents were selected from the Ministry of Finance (MoF), Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection, Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA), civil society groups, non-governmental organizations, media, academia, tax and gender experts, and tampon tax activists. The study found that a combination of socio-economic and political factors sustains the relevance of the tampon tax and makes it difficult to repeal. Revenue-mobilizing ministries and agencies, such as the MoF and GRA, prioritize the revenue benefit and the transaction costs involved in the repeal of the tampon tax, and the government finds it convenient to maintain the tampon tax because its indirect nature does not increase citizens’ demand for accountability. In addition, the government’s inability to implement gender-responsive budgeting limits policy initiatives necessary to address biases in the tax systems. Furthermore, the invisibility of menstruation constrains mobilization and discussions for the repeal of the tampon tax. The study found that research evidence and campaigns projecting the impact of poor menstrual health management on girls of school-going age have made the tampon tax more visible in the media and political discussions and elicited some responses from politicians. However, weak collaboration and coordination among gender activists and organisations, lack of sustained activism and limited consultations with key policymakers impair or undermine the efforts of activists to get the tampon tax repealed. To deal comprehensively with gender biases in tax policies in Ghana, the government must adopt a multi-sectoral approach that ensures that gender is mainstreamed in all activities of ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) and review the categorization of menstrual hygiene products (MHPs) to make them tax-exempt. Additionally, the activism to address gender biases in tax systems must be targeted at the key policymakers and implementers. Furthermore, activists must deliberately identify and equip government champions to influence policy discussions and the decision-making process. Finally, education and activism on the tampon tax must go beyond statements, press releases and conversations on World Menstrual Hygiene Day to sustain the attention of policymakers and other stakeholders.Item Politics Of Kayayie-Gatekeeper Phenomenon: Case Studies From Accra’s Tema Station(University Of Ghana, 2021-12) Sumani, D.In urban cities in Ghana, the prevalence of gatekeepers in the space of female migrants has become an emerging phenomenon. Female migrants who migrate to Ghana’s cities, especially Accra, in a bid to make a living only realise they are in a territory where such expectations are not easily met. As a result, they are constantly forced to improvise by adopting strategies and opting for certain spatial relationships necessary for their survival and stability in unfamiliar territories. This work focuses on identifying these livelihood strategies among specific female migrants known as kayayei. One of such strategies the kayayei have adopted to reduce their vulnerability and improve stability in these unfamiliar terrains has been by getting into relationships with male gatekeepers refined to emulate their household structures and socially constructed roles from their places of origin. This dissertation focuses on identifying these gatekeepers, their interests, and the exact role they play in the kayayei-gatekeeper phenomenon. This dissertation also adopts two theories (Social Dominance and Intersectionality) to understand the power relations, social domination, gender-based power inequalities, exploitation, and the multiple identities the kayayei hold and how it impacts their relationship with the gatekeepers. Using a qualitative case study methodology, the study applied convenient, purposive and snowball sampling to generate novel insights about an understudied phenomenon. The data demonstrate that age, ethnicity, and religious affiliation reflect the gatekeeper reality. Findings reveal that gatekeepers perform various unpaid services for the kayayei, including conflict resolution, burial rites, serving as liaison officers for NGO initiatives, funds mobilisation, assisting the kayayei to achieve financial inclusion and accelerating the shift to digital payments. Further, findings show that while these services offered by these gatekeepers are a good step in the right direction, they are not merely altruistic leaders but rather leaders with diverse political, economic, financial, status, sexual and kinship interests. Overall, this dissertation is a study of power and power relations. It offers a pioneering report on the gatekeepers phenomenon in the kaya industry and provides policymakers with the focus and direction to ending underage kayayei using gatekeepers as focal points.Item Ghana And The Bretton Woods Institutions (BWIs) In The Fourth Republic: An Assessment(University Of Ghana, 2021-09) Abdul – Basit, I.The Bretton Woods Institutions (BWIs) were formed in 1945 after the end of World War II, in response to the damages that the war had on the economies of European nations. These institutions later extended their activities to sub-Saharan African countries. Ghana, being the first country in sub-Saharan Africa to gain independence in March 1957, officially became a member of both institutions in that same year. As a result, since the 1980s, Ghana has implemented several programs with the IMF and World Bank including the Structural Adjustment Programms (SAPs) in 1983, Enhanced Structural Adjustment Facility (ESAF) in 1989; the Highly Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) initiative in 2002; the Poverty Reduction and Growth Facility (PRGF) in 2009; the Three-Year Extended Credit Facility (ECF) in 2015. Also, in 2020, during the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, the IMF allocated about one billion dollars to Ghana to tackle the threats the pandemic posed for the Ghanaian economy. All these have led to a situation where public policy formation in Ghana is dominated by neoliberal ideas and philosophies, which raises concerns about how the interactions between Ghana and the BWIs have evolved in the Fourth Republic. In this study, the qualitative research design was used. The analysis of the study was based on both primary and secondary data. The primary data was collected from participants through in-depth interviews whereas the secondary data was collected from existing literature on Ghana’s relations with the IMF and World Bank. The findings of the study reveal that the nature of Ghana’s relationship with the BWIs constitutes a dependency relationship, and that public policy formation in Ghana to a large extent is rooted in neoliberal thinking as a result of these institutions. Again, the results indicate that the driving forces of Ghana’s engagements with the IMF and World Bank are economic factors and history. Additionally, the study uncovered that Ghana’s relationship with the BWIs has largely not witnessed any significant transformation and that any attempt by the country to wean itself from these institutions is highly impossible. To add to the above, the findings of the study prove that Ghana’s interactions with the IMF and World Bank have both positive and negative implications.Item Public Private Partnership and The Performance of Public Enterprises in Ghana: A Case Study Of The Intercity STC Coaches Limited(University Of Ghana, 2021-12) Umar, S.N.Public enterprises are used by governments across the world to deliver public goods and services. However, public enterprises, especially, those in developing countries have faced challenges in delivering on their mandate. In response to this, public private partnership has been adopted as a reform strategy to deal with the inefficiencies of these entities. In Ghana, the management of Intercity STC Coaches Limited, in 2015, entered a public private partnership arrangement to revive the operations of the company. Against this backdrop, this study was conducted to assess the impact of Public Private Partnership on the performance of Intercity STC Limited. A qualitative research approach was used to collect and analyze the data of the study. The study employed the purposive and simple random sampling techniques to select the management and the customers of ISTC respectively. The primary data was collected through personal interviews, and secondary data were retrieved from journal articles, books, and reports. The study found that, the public private partnership arrangement has led to an improvement in the quantity of services in terms of fleet size, number of routes and terminals. It has also led to an improvement in the comfort, safety and availability of service. However, the arrangement has not led to a significant improvement in the profit of the ISTC. The study further found out that, despite an increase in the fleet size, the ISTC still cannot compete with the biggest private transport companies. Additionally, the study found out that the partnership arrangement has brought about improvement in the convenience, comfort and safety of service delivery. However, the closure of the land borders because of COVID-19, high operational cost, and the inability to procure new buses have affected the operations of ISTC. The study recommends among others the need for ISTC to improve upon its maintenance culture in order to prevent the frequent breakdown of the buses.Item The Politics Of International Institutions: A Path-Dependent Analysis Of The Icc-Au Interface.(University of Ghana, 2021-09) Acheampong, E.K.After many unsuccessful years of deliberating the establishment of a permanent ICC, the end of the Cold war critical juncture would foster processes, as liberal ideological principles took center stage in international politics. Not only that, but this specific juncture also triggered a declining state of inter-state wars and an increase in intra-state conflict, posing a threat to the global order. This necessitated the adoption of new institutional measures (ICC) to combat the increasing levels of intra-state wars, the impunity associated with it, and further deter future occurrences. As positive as the role of the ICC in global governance may be, translating from theory into practice has been marred with turbulence, as Africa, the continent with the highest number of signatories; in different phases, has declared a non-cooperation policy with the Court through the AU until now. This leads to a range of theoretical and practical issues that need to be explored to explain why the AU-ICC interface has been plagued with turbulence over time. As a result, this research work has examined the historical narrative of the ICC-AU interface through the Path dependent to explicate the temporal events and dynamics of politics in this interface. The results of the study showed that the reasons behind the AU’s move to not cooperate with the ICC until today is because of series of causatively connected events, which is best explained through the reactive path-dependent model. Through the lens of this research tradition, it emerged that the popular narrative of ‘Africa is against the ICC’ is false, that it is only a few powerful African countries who used their privileged asymmetrical power relations and historical locked-in advantages to shape the ICC-AU interface to their interest. At the other end of the spectrum, the study also identified that the institutional design of the ICC emitted certain unintended consequences on the ICC-AU interface through the lens of increasing path-dependent dynamics. Whilst the ICC is a fully-fledged court with full legal responsibilities, through this research tradition, certain dynamics of politics were explored in the ICC-AU-UNSC relations.