BY: Prof. Albert Machistey Abane, School of Medical Sciences Auditorium, May 14, 2012.
CHAIRPERSON : Prof. Jane Naana Opoku-Agyemang (Vice-Chancellor)
Abstract
The positive relationship between transport and socio-economic development of countries is steadily being eroded by rampant accidents, particularly road traffic crashes. The situation has become so disturbing in developing countries, that it is easy to equate it to a pandemic. In Ghana, state interventions have targeted aspects o the problem and substantial progress has been made in many areas, especially driver retraining and police presence in environments classified as blackspots. In spite of the interventions, several hundreds and thousands of Ghanaians are being maimed and /or killed annually, leading to losses estimated in monetary terms at about 1.6% of the country’s GDP.
Researcher, social commentators, road traffic analysts, planners and policy makers have commented extensively on the magnitude, cause and possible.
This lecture seeks to interrogate all these issues with particular focus on the causes and spatial dimensions of the road carnage.
An attempt is made to assess components of the road traffic crash equation which contributes substantially to the worsening situation. Various pieces of evidence including those from research suggest strongly that one would be right in laying the blame squarely on drivers, pedestrians, state institution responsible for road safety management as well as the actions and inactions of mechanic/fitters. The lecture concludes with an outline of a blueprint for the way forward to this national challenge.
Biodata
Professor Albert Machistey Abane (Professor-Transport Geography) Department of Geography and Regional Planning, UCC, started his second cycle education at Wa Training college (1968-1972) and through private studies entered Navrongo Secondary School for his GCE ADVANCE Level Certificate (1973-1975). He studied at the University of Cape Coast for his Bachelor Arts Degree (Geography Major, History Minor, 1975-1979) and Master of Arts in Transport Geography (1980-1982). He studied at the University of Southampton, UK, for his Ph.D (1989-1992) in Transport Geography, this time specializing in Urban Transport.
Professor Abane’s working career covers nearly three decades, beginning as a Certificate ‘A’ school teacher at Binde middle in the Northern Region (1973), Research Associate at the Regional Education Office in Tamale after his GCE ‘A’ Levels (1975), Teaching Assistant at the now defunct Department of Geography , University of Cape Coast (1982-1983) and in 1984 as Lecturer in the same Department, which later became Department of Geography and Tourism and now Department of Geography and Regional Planning.
Professor Abane has taught for 28 years now at all levels available in the Department and elsewhere in the university. Among courses he has taught are Geography of Development with Emphasis on Ghana, Geography of Ghana, Economic and Social Geography, Geomorphology, Climatology, Curriculum Studies in Population and Family Life Education, Rural Resource Management, Research Methods, Advanced Research Methods, Quantitative and Statistical Methods and Transport Geography.
Professor Machistey Abane has also supervised several MA. M.Phil and Ph.D dissertations and these as well as serving as internal and external examiner in universities in Ghana and a couple outside Ghana. Professor Abane has published quite extensively.
Presently he has 48 publications including six non-academic books, eight chapter in books, two occasional papers, 32 peer reviewed journal articles and 23 Technical Reports. Among the journals his publications have appeared in are Oguaa Journal of Social Sciences, The Oguaa Educator, Bulletin of the Ghana Geographical Association, Research Review, American Journal of Community Psychology, Children’s Geographies Biology and Human Affairs, Social Science and Medicine, Information Technology for Development, Geoforum, World Development Report, World transport Policy and Practice, Journal of Transport Geography and Journal of Advanced Transportation. He has presented papers locally and internationally including in countries such as India, Malawi, Norway, Switzerland and the United Kingdom.
Profesor Abane has served as Deputy UTAG Secretary, UCC Secretary, UCC Branch (1987-1988), UTAG Secretary, UCC Branch (1989), Departmental Examinations Officer (1987-1989, 1995-1986), Faculty Examinations Officer (1997-2004), Head of Department (2004-2009), Director of UCC Consultancy Unit (2002-2008), Vice Dean (2007-2008) and Dean (2009-2011).
He has also served and in some cases continues to serve on numerous boards and committees on campus, at the national level and outside Ghana. A selected few are the now defunct OSA Governing Board (1995-2002), Executive Member of the Association of Transport and Logistics, Ghana (2009-date), Executive Member of the Transport Managers Association of Ghana (2010-date) and Member of the Eminent Experts in Traffic Congestion Management (2010-date). He is also a Member of the Editorial Boards of the Journal of Transport Geography (1993-date) and Norwagean Journal of Geography (2011-date). Professor Abane has been Editor of the Oguaa Journal of Social Sciences (2007-2009) and currently is the Editor-in-chief of the UCC flagship Journal of Arts and Social Sciences.
Professor Abane is happily married to Dr. (Mrs) Henreitta Abane and between them are three strong boys (Afona, Anong and Clement). He has two boys (Osman and Roland) both of whom are with him but currently working in the north.
