a)

The stages of law-making by parliament in Ghana

1. A proposal/bill is read to parliament by the clerk of parliament
2. The speaker refers the bill to an appropriate committee to study and make recommendations
3. The chairman of the committee presents the bill to parliament to study
4. A motion is tabled in the house for the bill to be read the second time in the house (parliament)
5. The bill is debated and voted on
6. Changes are made at the consideration stage after a thorough discussion
7. The house votes to approve/reject the bill by a simple majority
8. The bill is then written in legal language by the Attorney General's Department
9. The bill is sent to the President to sign
10. It becomes a law
11. The law is gazetted

b)

Features of a good law

1. Interest of the people
2. Be publicized
3. Unambiguous
4. Reasonable
5. Enforceable
6. Understandable
7. Fair to all/equality
8. Acceptable
9. Meets moral code of people
10. Backed by authority
11. Written down to give its definiteness
12. Created and maintained by the state
13. Relates to the sovereignty of the people
14. Not to be retrospective
15. Stand the test of time
16. Must have human face
17. Protect the Fundamental Human Rights of the people
18. In accordance with the constitution
19. Flexible/not rigid

(a)

Causes of the 1948 riots

1. The Burns Constitution did not provide enough room for African participation in the Legislative and Executive Assembly
2. There were too many Europeans in the Civil Service with a few Africans
3. The Association of West African Merchants (AWAM) dwarfed and crippled African businesses
4. There was general shortage in the supply of essential commodities which led to high prices
5. The practice of conditional sales aggravated the plight of the people
6. The cutting down of cocoa trees affected by the swollen shoot disease
7. The plight of the ex-service men/returnee soldiers or The ex-service men lacked housing, pension, incentives, jobs, etc.
8. The shooting of the ex-service men at the Christiansburg Crossroads

(b)

Recommendations of the Watson Commission

1. The promulgation of a new constitution was needed as a step towards self Government
2. An African must head the Civil Service
3. The grievances of the ex-soldiers must be addressed
4. Ghanaians should have more control over all things that were done in the country
5. The people should be made happy at their work places through provision of social amenities such as housing
6. More schools (Secondary and Agriculture Schools) should be set up to educate Ghanaians to serve the country

(a)

The importance of Forest Vegetation in Ghana

1. Timber is harvested from the forest for export to earn foreign exchange
2. Timber provides raw materials for saw milling industries
3. The logs are processed into wood for building, construction, plywood and veneer
4. Wood is used in furniture marking, construction of boats and body of cargo vehicles
5. The trees from the forest serve as a major source of fuel/energy such as firewood and charcoal
6. The forest vegetation helps to conserve the fertility of the soil
7. The forest supplies us with Pestle, Mortar and chewing sticks
8. The trees act as windbreaks to reduce the destructive power of strong winds
9. The carpet of leaves under trees in the forest also prevents soil erosion
10. The forest vegetation provides food and habitat for animals (wildlife)
11. Animals in the forest promote forest tourism. Also the creation of Natural parks and game reserves attract tourist
12. The forest vegetation protects water bodies from drying up
13. The forest is a source of employment for many people such as hunters, chainsaw operators, etc.
14. The forest is the source of local medicines. The bark, roots and leaves from trees in the forest are used in preparation of traditional medicine

(b)

Ways by which the forest can be preserved

1. Reforestation: Planting trees to replace felled trees
2. Controlled Felling: Only trees of a stipulated size should be felled
3. Afforestation: Planting trees in areas without forest to create forest
4. Agro-Forestry: Planting of various species of fast growing trees and crops on the same farm
5. The creation of forest reserves: People are not allowed to enter without permission
6. The creation of Natural Parks and game reserves to protect and regenerate the forest
7. Protecting the forest against bush fire by the creation of fire belts around the forest and by legislation
8. Prevention of overgrazing: Herdsmen should not allow their animals to graze at a particular place for a long time
9. Avoiding improper methods of farming
10. Avoiding indiscriminate felling of trees
11. Sanctions should be taken against chainsaw operators

(a)

Negative effects of rural-urban migration on the villages of Ghana

1. Low Production of food and other agricultural products
2. Increased number of broken homes as a result of breakdown of marriages
3. Lack of supervision of children which often creates a high incidence of child delinquency, early sex, teenage pregnancies and drug addiction
4. Poverty of women is high when their husbands desert them for greener pastures
5. Decline in local industries or rural crafts since there is mass exodus of the youth to the urban areas leaving the family crafts behind
6. Loss of traditional cultural values
7. Loss of agricultural labour force
8. Decrease in population in the rural areas
9. Rural development slows down

(b)

Ways of reducing rural-urban migration in Ghana

1. Provision of job opportunities in the rural areas
2. Making the acquisition of land for farming easier in the rural areas
3. Provision of social amenities and infrastructure in the form of electricity, good roads, educational institutions and health facilities
4. Modernization or abolition of traditional practices such as Trokosi, female genital mutilation, force marriage, puberty rites and widowhood rites
5. Persuasion of the youth through education to know of the negative experiences of people in the urban centres
6. Improvement in agricultural services in the rural areas/Agriculture should be made attractive for rural dwellers
7. Provision of recreational facilities to make life interesting for the youth in the rural areas

(a)

Examples of secondary industries and their locations in Ghana

(b)

Contributions of secondary industries to the economy of Ghana

1. They add value to the goods for export
2. They earn foreign exchange from the export of the goods
3. Provision of employment opportunities to both skilled and unskilled labour
4. Preservation of our food crops
5. Conservation of foreign exchange, import substitution
6. Provides us with variety of goods such as cocoa powder, cloth, cement, etc.
7. Helps in the development of infrastructure such as roads, good water, electricity, etc.
8. Provides training on the job for citizens
9. Generates revenue for the Government through taxes

(a & b)

Social problems facing Ghana today and ways of minimizing them