The number of meetings Ghanaians convene to save their country is impressive. What is disturbing is that these meetings achieve nothing, though some would argue that if things remain as they are, with all the meetings, they would have been worse without discussions about the future of Ghana.
Ghana, while being one of the most powerful nations in the region in economic terms, was not quite able to adjust their infrastructure to accommodate the needs of its booming economies. Shortages of electricity and water are possibly the most pressing here, with blackouts being experienced on a fairly regular basis – sometimes for prolonged stretches of time and all across the nation.
Another major challenges facing Ghana is certainly unemployment. The growing rate of urbanization without the creation of an adequate or proportional number of jobs, coupled with the relatively high growth rate of the population, has caused unemployment to be extremely high. Young people are oftentimes off worst, with some estimates suggesting that only as few as two percent being able to find employment, with the rest frequently engaging in activities in the informal sector to make ends meet. The official government definition of this part of the population includes those of 18 to 35 years of age – about a quarter of the population. The problem, however, also affects younger teenagers.
Despite Ghana being the second leading producer of cocoa beans in the world (Ivory Coast is the current world’s leading producer of cocoa beans), most people living in the rural areas especially women and children go to bed hungry in Ghana today especially in times of crop failure.
Most villages in Ghana today lack good drinking water, hospitals, basic sanitation (lack of basic sanitation remains a major problem even in Accra the capital of Ghana), quality education, among others.
If we all agree that Ghana is unsustainable the way it is run, why are the solutions not raining in torrents to match the enormity of the challenges? Many factors are responsible for the current state of Ghana.
Many have joined in ruining her. Others are seeking opportunities to continue in the ruination of the country through ceaseless wasting of opportunities that present themselves to improve the country. What did many of those calling for changes in Ghana do when they were in-charge? Do people only realise challenges Ghana faces only when they are not in office?
The most critical issue facing Ghana is that people are not making the changes that would improve Ghana in their own little corners.
Our people should concentrate on seeking ways that would improve governance. Changes in the governance structure alone would not address our problem, they would not change attitude of politicians, they would not stop corruption, and they would not teach us new ways of managing our resources.
Solutions to challenges Ghana faces could be drawn from political restructuring, but a more sustainable path should be leadership. May be, stiff penalties for failed leaders, could check the scandal called leadership.
Every effort must be made by government to complete infrastructure projects that are nearing completion, and to give priority to maintenance where this is holding back effective operation.
This is particularly true for transportation, including rural roads. Further, no effort must be spared to take decisions relating to the infrastructural sectors that will facilitate private activity currently held up by government procedures.
This is especially the case for the energy and water sectors. The water sector is the next sector at greatest risk, and again, decisions that are holding back reforms in water need immediate attention. Third, the government’s focus on improving the investment climate and the costs of doing business has been admirable. Even so, Ghana’s investment climate remains inferior to that of many comparable countries.
This focus must be sharpened, to offset the higher costs that the downturn will have on exporters and on services. Ghana’s benchmark here should be countries like Chile, and Singapore and not just other African countries.
