Conflict to thrive with black gold in Ghana?

After the discovery of another non-renewable natural resource, crude oil, which is connotatively referred to as black gold, in Ghana, many were the statements made, as if it has been the only to be exploited ever in the nation's history.

Many were the renewable and non-renewable natural resources discovered and exploited, or still remain untapped in Ghana's economic past. Some of them are gold, diamond, and cocoa. Others include, timber, bauxite, and human resource, have all been, abysmally mismanaged to the detriment of a developing country like Ghana. The present generation of Ghanaians is anxious of the crude oil discovered, and holds the perception that, the entire economic challenges facing the nation would varnish into thin air as Ghana would soon attain the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) status.

Despite years of extracting natural and human resource, Ghana still has to source budgetary support from the World Bank. The query is, how judicious have funds from these extractive resources been managed, including those still been exploited, which gives us the impetus to believe with the black gold we would surely succeed? There is a sage which says, a bird in hand is worthy two in the bush. Are the gold, diamonds, cocoa, timber, bauxite and human resource in hand, not worth the oil?

Nevertheless, gold exploitation at Obuasi began almost at the same time with Johannesburg in the Republic of South Africa (RSA). But, undoubtedly the rate of development at Johannesburg is worthy a tale to tell. However, the story of Obuasi is that of despise and desperation. The inhabitants of Obuasi are almost all the time splitting hair, with AngloGold Ashanti, either ignoring its social responsibility of exposing the inhabitants to one health hazard, or the other. This calls on the Ghana Police Service, which often simply represents the calm before the storm. Then the qualm is who is to control the revenue from the crude oil found in Ghana? I do not generally believe every Ghanaian is dysfunctional, fractious and fragile when it comes to managing funds from our extractive resource. But beyond the spin, the question still remains, how changed are we in order not to fail with the crude oil as with the other non-renewable resources?

Actually, many have been the resources that have been misappropriated by Ghanaians, themselves. Ghana has been and will always be wealthy in human resource. This is, what is use to develop a country efficiently. Ghanaians work with international organizations like the United Nations, the Economic community of West African States (ECOWAS), The Commonwealth of Nations, to mention but a few. The notable personality proud to mention is the immediate past Secretary-General of the United Nations (UN). Bosomuru Kofi Annan, and the former Legal Adviser at the Commonwealth, Mrs. Betty Mould Iddrisu, the current Attorney–General and Minister for Justice, they are all Ghanaians who have excelled and hoisted the flag of Ghana proudly high. Equally the current President of ECOWAS, Ambassador, Victor Gbeho, and the former Executive Secretary of ECOWAS, Dr. Mohammed Ibn Chambas, are all illustrious sons that Ghana have gifted the international community. Not forgetting the worthy daughter of the land, Professor Akua Kunyehia, a supervisor at the International criminal court (ICC) in The Hague, Holland. There are yet, others to emerge. But, why does Ghana still faces the challenge of managing her own affairs, considering the magnitude of human resource available to her? This human resource is of envy to many a nation. Ghana has failed in managing this envious resource to her advantage. Therefore, what style of management do we take to the black gold discovered?

In spite of the above, have we thought of diamond at Akwatia, and how it has been handled? With the human resource at our disposal, we honestly have every excuse to perform to perfectly achieve all that is there to be achieved in the vision 2020. We, have no excuse to ruin our own enterprises. An example worth citing of a mismanaged Ghanaian Public enterprise is Ghana telecommunications (Ghana Telecom). It strolled under the management of Telecom Malaysia, then to the care of Telenor of Norway, until it was finally delivered to Vodafone to also try their managerial skills. Prior to the sale, workers and the entire nation was made to believe, if Vodafone does not come to save Ghana Telecom, the corporation was on the verge of collapse. The picture, I seek to present is, if Ghanaians who mismanaged Ghana Airways are different from the Ghanaians who are to run the affairs of the oil found then, Ghana is bound to be a success. But, without a transformation in management style and change in attitude, the black gold would also become another example of Ghana's incompetence in managing her own resources.

Another backbone of Ghana's economy, without any doubt or second thought, has been Cocoa, though timber also has contributed immensely to Ghana's development. Unfortunately our inability to manage resources appropriately has led to somewhat embargo on it. Timber firms are asked by the Forestry Commission to plant a tree wherever one is lumbered. This has not been followed diligently, and our forest cover is gradually eroding. In terms of Cocoa, the mass cocoa spraying has been politicised time and time again, which often does not help matters. Ghana happened to be the leading producer of Cocoa in the World. But Ghana has now fallen behind Ivory Coast. What accounted for this sudden turn of events? What readily comes to mind is the smuggling of cocoa from Ghana to Ivory Coast, by Ghanaians themselves. Believe it, Tetteh Quashie is whimpering in his grave, for the reason, the cocoa he riskily smuggled into Ghana is been smuggled out by the people he meant good for.

Forthrightly, Ghana has countless mismanagement past of her own resources. And this attitude has been carried to virtually every national property without checks or regret. This is still counting, and has cast Ghana badly. How have we pecked ourselves of cronyism and nepotism? What about the almighty “kickback”?

According to Emeritus Professor Ama Ata Aidoo, an eminent Ghanaian writer and educationist, “The furthest east you run, the nearest west you get” This goes to explain why Ghanaians must know the development of Ghana is the responsibility that rest on the shoulders of Ghanaians themselves. A fact we cannot run away from. How long will Ghanaians keep misappropriating resources and running back to the World Bank? Ghanaians home and abroad should put their shoulders to the wheel for success to be achieved with the black gold.

Equally concerning is the fact that, crude oil has brought enough conflict in Africa, not to mention our West African neighbours Nigeria. The Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC) should do well to reach agreements and contracts with national interest at the core.

A Hebrew proverb says, he who is not satisfied with himself will grow. Indeed we cannot be satisfied with our resource management competence; hence there is the need to change. We must always change, renew, rejuvenate ourselves - otherwise we harden.

All said and done, we have to succeed, for posterity cannot count the black gold as part of our resources management failures.

Credit: Patrick Twumasi
A Journalist.
BA Psychology and Religions
(University of Ghana)
[email protected]