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Tag: Dr Ishmael Yamson

  • Ghanaian exported yams induced with heavy metals – US-based engineer

    Ghanaian exported yams induced with heavy metals – US-based engineer

    US-based engineer, Dr. Juliet Ohemeng-Ntiamoah has raised alarms over the discovery of high levels of heavy metals in some food products exported from Ghana, specifically yams.

    She highlighted this issue during a discussion on galamsey’s impacts on JoyNews’ Newsfile on Saturday, October 5, 2024.

    Dr. Ohemeng-Ntiamoah criticized those who downplay the effects of illegal mining, commonly known as galamsey, on areas like Accra, arguing that the consequences extend far beyond the mining regions.

    “People have told me before, ‘You live in the US, why does galamsey concern you?’ But it affects all of us, even in the diaspora. I still buy Ghanaian food, like yams, from African markets here in the US. A friend at the Ghana Standards Board recently shared with me that some of the yams being exported have tested high for heavy metals,” she revealed.

    She explained that individuals in Accra, who believe they are unaffected because the mining is happening elsewhere, are actually at a greater risk of exposure than those overseas. “The impact of galamsey reaches everyone, including those in Accra who think it’s only a problem for the Western or Ashanti Regions,” she said.

    Dr. Ohemeng-Ntiamoah also pointed out that Ghana’s water treatment processes are inadequate in addressing heavy metal contamination caused by galamsey.

    She stressed that the environmental crisis goes beyond visible pollution, such as muddy water, and involves more serious long-term health risks due to chemicals like mercury, lead, and arsenic.

    Ghana is currently in the midst of a nationwide push to combat illegal mining, with numerous protests calling for urgent government intervention.

    The rising pressure has also led Organised Labour to announce a planned strike on October 10, 2024, as they join the fight to address the devastating consequences of galamsey on communities and the environment.

  • Growing in trying times is possible — Dr Ishmael Yamson

    In spite of the current economic crisis, Dr. Ishmael Yamson has urged chief executive officers (CEOs) to have the guts to look for possibilities to expand their businesses.

    In Accra, Ghana, at the first CEO Dialogues, a business discussion titled: “How your business might survive the economic catastrophe,” Dr. Yamson said:

    “There is uncertainty and complexity, which is not ending any time soon. You need the courage to take the strong decisions that will allow you to grow even in these times”.

    He argued that there were new opportunities and markets that could be conquered with the right decisions.

    The CEO Dialogues is a capacity building, thought leadership vehicle organised by Base Element Ghana in collaboration with Ishmael Yamson and Associates.

    Delivering a paper on the subject, Kwame Sarpong Barnieh of KPMG pointed out the importance of working capital management in order to build resilience during these periods.

     

    Actions

    A marketing expert, Adam Sulley, who represented the Chartered Institute of Marketing, Ghana, outlined a number of actions that were relevant from marketing perspective.

    He said the customer needed to be the foremost consideration, while “actions must be supported by strategy”, arguing further that the most significant brands within a company’s portfolio needed to be valued.

    The Accra Chair of the Association of Ghana Industries, Tsonam Akpeloo, outlined the myriad of challenges that most local industries were presently enduring.

    CEOs from across industries, including banks, manufacturing, health and IT, attended the event.

  • Our problems are bad leadership, corruption – Dr Ishmael Yamson

    Board Chairman of MTN Ghana, Dr Ishmael Yamson, has expressed “frustration” over the country’s slow pace of development and blamed the situation on bad leadership, corruption, and greed.

    In an interactive session with some young people in Accra on Wednesday, September 21, 2022, he said the living conditions of people in the colonial era through to independence were better compared to today.

    Dr Yamson, who is also a management consultant, recalled events in the colonial era, where he said his grandfather, a farmer, could sell a bag of cocoa for 13 shillings – and could use that money to fend for his 26 children, grandchildren and nephews.

    “Today all our farmers are poor,” the eighty-year-old-man said, adding: “If you take the life of an average Ghanaian today, it is much worse than what I experienced.”

    “I have seen Ghana from colonial days up to today… I saw King George VI reign before Queen Elizabeth II and before we had the independence agitations, and I can tell you that life for me under colonial rule and the transition to independence and Republican was better than life for me today,” Dr Yamson said.

    His encounter with the youth on Wednesday formed part of activities for the 2022 Inter-Generational Dialogue under the auspices of the Passionate Africa Leadership Institute (PALI).

    Dr Yamson mentioned greed and corruption as the two major issues undermining the progress of the nation.

    He said the country would not develop “until we find a government that says I want to leave a legacy free of corruption and greed.”

    He urged all persons occupying leadership positions in the country to build on what was bequeathed to them and work to make the lives of the people better.

    “My frustration has been our leaders have not demonstrated enough vision, integrity in the way they’ve managed this country. Our leaders have not just performed what they promised they have to do,” Dr Yamson said.

    “Ghana is not that we don’t have people with good minds, goodwill. Our problem is that when it comes to executing those plans we are corrupt, greedy and those things will never allow us to develop,” he added.

    Dr Yamson also expressed concern over the inability of businesses to grow and expand their operations after the demise of their founders.

    He observed that many businesses were operated under the dictates of their founder without structures and proper succession plans.

    “One of our biggest tragedies is that many of our entrepreneurs die with their businesses …the business is run in the head of the founder so when he dies, the business disappears, “Dr Yamson said.

    He urged the youth to “rise up,” abstain from corruption and greed and vote for a leader who would make their lives better.

    Mr Frank Paa Kumi, Convener for PALI, said the Dialogue formed part of initiatives intended to connect young people with distinguished personalities to share their experiences with them.

    He said it was the expectation of the Organisation that many young people would be impacted positively to help raise an army of young people who would contribute positively to the development of the nation.

  • Greed and corruption playing on political actors – Dr. Ishmael Yamson

    The Board Chairman of MTN Ghana, Dr. Ishmael Yamson, has attributed the slow pace of the country’s development to greed and corruption on the part of political actors.

    Successive governments have taken steps to ensure various sectors of the country are developed, but the progress has not been satisfactory.

    Speaking at the Inter-Generational Dialogue organized by Pali Global in Accra, Dr. Ishmael Yamson believes that leaders should be responsible to the people that voted them into office.

    “The issue arises when it comes to execution and implementation. And I can tell you that in our country, we have only two problems; greed and corruption.”

    Dr. Ishmeal Yamson reiterated concerns of political actors failing woefully for not implementing their manifesto when they ascend into power.

    “But I tell you, I take time to read manifestos but when it comes to implementing the manifesto it raises issues and this is because we are greedy and corrupt.”

    “Whether it is about galamsey, Free SHS or whatever, if we don’t believe and behave like we are in the West, that we don’t touch state money because the punishment is just there, with this, whether NPP or NDC is in government, the country will prosper.”

    “How long does it take to build the Western rail lines? It will never be built because of greed and corruption,” he insisted.

    The Inter-Generational dialogue rallied young people across the country at the Ghana Academy of Arts and Sciences to discuss issues of transformational leadership.

     

  • Unemployment rate rising faster than the economy – Economist

    Dr. Ishmael Yamson, an economist, has lamented how quickly the jobless rate is rising while the local economy is expanding at a more tortoise-like rate.

    He called it a major problem and said the government needed to check for and fix the problems.

    Dr. Yamson pleaded with political party members to refrain from politicizing economic issues in order for the economy to prosper.

    He said, “The unemployment rate is expanding faster than the economy, that is not something you should chuckle about, that is something you should be extremely serious about,” on TV3’s Ghana Tonight broadcast on August 22, 2022.
    We should cease playing politics, I argue because of this.

    In the meantime, the Presidency stated in a tweet that the government is doing everything in its power to implement the YouStart program and assist the private sector’s growth.

    This, the Presidency stated, will increase employment rates in the country which will help boost the local economy.

    “Government is determined to support and boost the private sector to increase employment rates in the country through the #YouStart programme, which will result in new businesses championed by the vibrant youth of our country,” the presidency tweeted.