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  • Sense of Grace and Mission

    John Samuel Pobee studied at Adisadel 1950-56 obtaining both the Cambridge School Certificate and Higher School Certificate. Subsequently, he studied at University of Ghana and Selwyn College, University of Cambridge. He had his priestly formation at Westcott House, Cambridge. At the University of Ghana, he was Head of Department for the Study of Religions, Dean of the Faculty of Arts, Admissions and Examinations.
    He later worked at the World Council of Churches in Geneva. He was Emeritus Professor at the University of Ghana. He was married to Martha, a career diplomat of the Ghana Foreign Service.
    He served as the Vicar-General of the Anglican Diocese of Accra.
    Prof Pobee died in Ghana in January 2020 at the age of 82.
  • Decentralisation Reforms in Ghana: The Experiences of the Fifth and Sixth Governments of the Fourth Republic

    What were the decentralisation reforms? What did they consist of? What were their origins? Who authorised them? What were their outcomes? What Impact have they had on the local governance and decentralisation landscape In Ghana?

    The answer to the first question is that they were new initiatives and innovations designed to accelerate the pace of and improve upon decentralisation implementation in Ghana.

    The answer to the second question is that they consisted of a National Decentralisation Policy Framework and a National Decentralisation Action Plan I (2010-2014) and II (2015-2019), an Inter-Ministerial Coordinating Committee on Decentralisation (IMCC), an expansion in the number of districts, a consolidated Local Governance Act, a re-branding of the Office of the Head of Local Government Service, the operationalisation of the Local Government Service and the introduction of a system of Inter-Service/Inter-Sectoral Collaboration and Cooperation. It also covered the enactment of National Development Planning (System) Regulations and a Land Use and Spatial Planning Act, the introduction of a Regional Integrated Budget System (RIBS) and blueprints for an Inter-Governmental Fiscal Framework (IGFF) and an Inter-Governmental Fiscal Transfer (IGFT) system.

    The answer to the third question is that the reforms were traceable to the 2008 manifesto of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), the party which won the Presidential and Parliamentary elections of 2008 and 2012 and therefore formed the Fifth and Sixth Governments of the Fourth Republic.

    The answer to the fourth question is that the reforms were authorised by Presidents John Evans Atta Mills and John Dramani Mahama who successively were Presidents of the Fifth and Sixth Governments of the Fourth Republic.

    The answer to the fifth question about outcomes is the new structures, procedures and processes for decentralisation implementation, the improved quality of human resources in the local government sector, and the more efficient systems of checks and balances in the sector.

    The answer to the sixth question lies in the District Assemblies (MMDAs), the better service delivery by the Metropolitan, Municipal and of service delivery, the renewed interest in local governance by the citizenry and the claro Si rate reforms such as the elections of Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives (MMDC Wand making the MMDAs partisan.

    These and answers to other questions posed by the reforms are answered in this book by the two people who should know, namely, the authors Professor Kwamena Ahwoi and Dr Callistus Mahama.

    Professor Kwamena Ahwoi is the longest-serving Minister of Local Government and Rural Development in Ghana (1988-2000). He was the Chairman of the High Level Strategic Task Force that produced the Decentralisation Policy Frameworks and Action Plans, He chaired the Legislative Review Task Force that resulted in the enactment of the Local Governance Act, 2016, Act 936 and was consultant to both the Ministry of Local Government and the IMCC during the period.

    Dr. Callistus Mahama was a member of the High Level Strategic Task Force, a member of the Legislative Review Task Force, the Executive Coordinator of the IMCC and the Head of the Local Government Service during the period.

    The two authors therefore write from a position of knowledge and experience and this is reflected in the contents of the book.

  • Women’s Leadership in Post-Conflict Liberia: My Journey (Hardcover)

    The realities of trying to institutionalize reform in Liberia after 14 years of civil war comes alive in this book, particularly given the capacity constraints the author had to work with – what she describes as the “no money syndrome” coupled with the human and institutional capacity challenges she faced after a prolonged absence of almost 25 years working and living in the Diaspora.

    This book is a must-read for all women (and men) who need guidance and mentoring on the challenges, consequences and sacrifices required to stand up for one’s convictions.

  • Pilgrims of the Night: Development Challenges and Opportunities in Africa (Hardcover)

    Africa’s development process has and continues to be like walking through a thick forest made obscure by institutional weakness, social challenges and capacity gaps. Sustainable development should be in the hands of Africans and outside support as a critical compliment. Getting the navigation right is paramount in the face of emerging challenges so well covered in this undoubtedly important and highly recommended book. The authors argue that Africa must control its own precious natural resources, reform its government institutions, modify its trade and economic relations and form new relationships with emerging economies in order to improve conditions on the continent.

  • WriterPreneur: 25 Innovative Secrets to Generate Multiple Income Streams as a Writer

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    Many writers have been in various forms of dilemmas when it comes to making use of their creativity to earn good money. There are many beliefs that a writer can only make money from authoring a book. Unknowingly however, there are other ways available to writers that rather generate even more than just writing and publishing a book. There is a great opportunity to earn good money by using writing as the foundation to solve people’s problems.

    It is not about accessibility which becomes the challenge to these creative secrets but rather the realization that such even exist. There are many accessible ways writers can position themselves to make good money either on fulltime or part time basis when explored and taken advantage of.

    This book is to help reveal many of these secrets, how and where to access them, and the ability to take advantage of them to realize their long-cherished dreams of becoming entrepreneurial writers. This will bring in multiple streams of income and will create that dream business for the writer.

    To the ‘newbies’ who are yet to begin the writing journey, this is more than a companion which will lead them to the ‘promise land’. Your writing journey is beginning in earnest and will propel you to greater heights with this material. You will not just write and publish but also build a conglomerate from your writing.

    The concepts outlined are easy to assimilate and will direct you to be able to get the most out of your writing. Prepare to be educated, provoked, and redirected to the right path on your writing journey.

    There are 25 innovative secrets yet to be explored by writers. Get this material and explore.

     

     

  • Blessed: The Autobiography (George Best)

    George Best needs little introduction. A legend in his own lifetime, he is undoubtedly the greatest footballer the UK has ever produced. Blessed with an extraordinary gift he brought a beauty and grace to the game never before seen. But Best was unable to cope with the success and fame his football genius brought. His fabled story is littered with tales of women and sex and, of course, alcohol.

    Much has been written about Best, but very little substantiated by the man himself. That is until George Best opened his heart and engaged us in one of the most exhilarating life stories for years, Blessed. In his own words George recounts the halcyon days at Manchester United, the big games and European Cup win of ’68. And then there’s the heartbreaking truth about the death of his mother and his struggles with alcohol that forced him to face up to a life without drink.

    Blessed reveals the man behind the up-for-a-laugh, boozy, womanizing stereotype that had dogged George Best for so long. Open and honest about his mistakes, George is also incredibly candid about his triumphs, his regrets, and, only three years before his death, what he had hoped for the future.

    ‘Don’t coach him, he’s a genius’ Sir Matt Busby

    ‘Unquestionably the greatest’ Sir Alex Ferguson

  • Frantz Fanon (Panaf Great Lives)

    Required reading for all interested in the Algerian Revolution, and in Fanon’s brief but highly productive contribution. A close study is made of the relationship between Fanon’s ideological development and the content and impact of his political philosophy.

  • Hijacked: 1000 Days’ Harrowing Experience in the Hands of Somali Pirates

    Six months into a 10-month contract with Azal Shipping & Cargo, LLC, Dubai, on March 29, 2010, Jewel Ahiable and 23 other crew members aboard MV Iceberg 1 were hijacked by Somali pirates and held captive for 1000 days. The vessel ran aground. Food, water, medical supplies—all ran out. A crew member lost his life and another went missing. All attempts to get a ransom failed the captors. But their brute determination to amass fortune deafened their ears to the cry of innocent humans and the poor.

    HIJACKED! recounts the torturous ordeal and near-death experiences during the captivity until the intervention of the Puntland Maritime Police Force secured their release on December 23, 2012.

    It is the story of one of the longest held piracy victims. It is the story of piracy victims abandoned by their employer, respective countries and the world community. It is the story of the miraculous intervention of Divinity in the affairs of hopeless men.

  • Voices of Ghana: Literary Contributions to the Ghana Broadcasting System, 1955-57 (Second Edition)

    Ghana’s first radio programme of original literature, Singing Net, began in 1955 as part of the development of a national radio station in the years leading to independence in 1957. Its centralaim was to bring Ghanaian writers to the forefront of cultural programming as part of the Africanisation of radio in Ghana. It was a critical cultural expression of the radical changes that were unfolding across the colonial world. The programme successfully introduced listeners to a series of pioneering Ghanaian authors who would go on to become significant figures of Anglophone West African literature in the early postcolonial decades: Efua Sutherland, Frank Parkes, Amu Djoleto, Geormbeeyi Adali-Mortty, Albert Kayper-Mensah, Kwesi Brew, Cameron Duodu, J.H. Nketia and many others.

    The anthology, Voices of Ghana (1958) is a collection of the poetry, short stories, play scripts and critical discussions that were aired on the Gold Coast (later Ghana) Broadcasting System (1954-1958).Both Singing Net and Voices of Ghana were edited by the BBC producer, Henry Swanzy.

    The context of Ghana’s independence, the singularity of the anthology’s history, and the significance of many of the writers all contribute to the importance of this text. This second edition is a timely intervention into recent debates within postcolonial studies and world literature on the importance of broadcast culture in the dissemination of “new literatures” from the colonial world. It includes an unabridged version of the 1958 text, a new introduction and footnoted annotations,which draw on extensive research undertaken in Ghana and Britain. It will appeal to a general readership with an interest in Ghanaian literature, 1950s broadcast culture, the figure of Dr Kwame Nkrumah and the making of a national literature in the era of decolonisation, as well as engaging scholars. The new edition presents a deeply insightful and engaging history of Voices of Ghana and reintroduces the original works on the occasion of the anthology’s 60th anniversary.

    Victoria Ellen Smith is a Lecturer in the Department of History, University of Ghana, Legon

  • The Measure of a Man: A Spiritual Autobiography

    I have no wish to play the pontificating fool, pretending that I’ve suddenly come up with the answers to all life’s questions. Quite that contrary, I began this book as an exploration, an exercise in self-questing. In other words, I wanted to find out, as I looked back at a long and complicated life, with many twists and turns, how well I’ve done at measuring up to the values I myself have set.” —Sidney Poitier

    In this luminous memoir, a true American icon looks back on his celebrated life and career. His body of work is arguably the most morally significant in cinematic history, and the power and influence of that work are indicative of the character of the man behind the many storied roles. Sidney Poitier here explores these elements of character and personal values to take his own measure—as a man, as a husband and a father, and as an actor.

    Poitier credits his parents and his childhood on tiny Cat Island in the Bahamas for equipping him with the unflinching sense of right and wrong and of self-worth that he has never surrendered and that have dramatically shaped his world. “In the kind of place where I grew up,” recalls Poitier, “what’s coming at you is the sound of the sea and the smell of the wind and momma’s voice and the voice of your dad and the craziness of your brothers and sisters…and that’s it.” Without television, radio, and material distractions to obscure what matters most, he could enjoy the simple things, endure the long commitments, and find true meaning in his life.

    Poitier was uncompromising as he pursued a personal and public life that would honor his upbringing and the invaluable legacy of his parents. Just a few years after his introduction to indoor plumbing and the automobile, Poitier broke racial barrier after racial barrier to launch a pioneering acting career. Committed to the notion that what one does for a living articulates to who one is, Poitier played only forceful and affecting characters who said something positive, useful, and lasting about the human condition.

    Here is Poitier’s own introspective look at what has informed his performances and his life. Poitier explores the nature of sacrifice and commitment, price and humility, rage and forgiveness, and paying the price for artistic integrity. What emerges is a picture of a man in the face of limits—his own and the world’s. A triumph of the spirit, The Measure of a Man captures the essential Poitier.

  • Africa in Search of Prosperity

    Africa is a major player in global economic engineering. It is also a great development partner, a vital player in the economies of Asian nations who are eager to explore long awaited market possibilities that it presents by forging alliances with hi-growth emerging economies in Africa.

    This new economic order is shifting the developmental narratives as Africa’s rich potential market has become more attractive with a population of nearly one billion.

    The author of this book is a long time transnational business executive. Although he indicates a level of despair at times, he is quite hopeful of Africa’s prospects. His lived experience as an economist and policy advisor to Presidents, is reflected in these essays that address developmental issues from the colonial economy with those of the new states.

    In this, the author uses the experience of Ghana as an example and a site for an analytical perspective. He examines and writes about the issues of natural resource exploration, the oil economy, human skills and also looks at the vital factors of education, religion and the attendant attitudes to development.

  • History of Ashanti by Otumfuo, Nana Osei Agyeman Prempeh II (Hardcover)

    History of Ashanti is unusual, perhaps unique, in that it provides a long historical account of the great West African forest kingdom of Asante by a ruler of that society. Thus, it is African history written by an African king and his assistants. This is, without a doubt, a very important document for historians of Africa. It has too a much wider resonance at the present time: here the Asante ‘voice’ is speaking directly to all those across the globe who claim ancestral links to the African continent, and who are still engaged in the struggle to define, to strengthen and to assert their identities in a world that long discounted the value, or even the existence, of their historical experience.

  • A Life of Vicissitudes (Hardcover)

    These are highlights of heady days and heydays of experiences in a life and its living.  It is a riveting and captivating account of extraordinary happenings to an individual of complex character and disposition with luck and lots of luck. The story is a journey of unmasking the masked. It’s a person’s recollections of life’s vicissitudes as lived by him from earliest experiences, along with insights into student leadership, workings of a military government, chieftaincy, tinges of Akan feminism and writing a newspaper column.

  • Petroleum and Energy Management Sourcebook (Hardcover)

    The petroleum industry is unique and complex. It requires massive investments, long lead times and great perseverance and tact. This book, Petroleum and Energy Management Sourcebook provides comprehensive source material with introductory content and detailed analysis of key concepts and fundamental principles for understanding operations and transactions of the petroleum and energy sectors. The simplified explanations and examples given make it easy to understand.

    The sector thrives on stable sources of financing, robust regulatory and fiscal regimes and a skilled workforce. Risk, in all its forms, is a central theme in the sector. It is essential to understand the concept of risks and how tools such as the fiscal regime and regulations can be deployed to deal with them.

    This book identifies and provides a simplified explanation of complex issues. It is a good source of literature for those who want to understand the petroleum and energy sectors, those who work in the industry and those who aspire to be part of it.

    As a result of the complexity of the petroleum and energy sectors, the book is divided into two parts: Part One deals with the petroleum sector value chain analysis from upstream exploration and production to crude refinery economics and consumption to petroleum trading and risk management. Part Two focuses on energy project financing, development, electricity industry value chain analysis, renewable energy, environment and sustainability.

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