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03.11.2014 Diaspora (Canada)

Funding WET (Water, Electricity, Toilet) In Ghana

By NPP Canada
Funding WET Water, Electricity, Toilet In Ghana
03.11.2014 LISTEN

It is unconscionable at the present time for there to be a lack of or adequacy of enough clean drinking water, reliable electricity, and enough toilet facilities for Ghana's population of 26m people.

It is made even more troubling when one considers the following:

1. Other than some coup d'etats, Ghana has never suffered from a Civil War.

2. Ghana has generally been a stable country since gaining independence from Britain in 1957.

3. Ghana has a reasonably good educational system (for those who can gain access to it, that is) that has produced some very resourceful and renowned professionals and academics.

4. Ghana does not suffer from natural disasters like hurricanes, tornadoes, and devastating earthquakes.

5. Ghana has a good climate for agriculture and tourism.

6. Ghana is well endowed with minerals like Gold, Diamond, Manganese and Bauxite. Indeed, Ghana was once called the Gold Coast.

7. Since 2010, Ghana has become an oil producing nation.

8. Ghana has a functioning and fairly decent multi-party democracy.

9. Ghana has had some, not all, but definitely some reasonably good leaders too.

10. Ghana has a fairly decent international reputation (of course one would quickly like to forget the few embarrassing international headlines like “flying $3m cash to Brazil” and the “boxing match between President and Vice President in a cabinet meeting”).

Sadly, some of the worst periods of our history in terms of depravity as in lack of reliable electricity supply, lack of good drinking water, worsening effects of insanitation have occurred in the period since we had an abundance of cash inflows following oil production. The cash inflows have not been due to oil production alone but also due to record prices of gold on the world market as well as unprecedented levels of foreign loans.

From the foregoing, one cannot help but conclude that our problem has not been due to a lack of resources but rather a waste of resources. In other words, our tremendous resources are wasted on a few in obscene amounts.

Ghana can fully fund a campaign for “Water for all, Electricity for all, Toilets for all by 2020”. We shall not need extra revenue streams such as new oil wells to achieve this. Neither will we need funding from so-called donor partners to do this. All we shall need is a plan to cut down on waste and the will to follow through with the plan.

This article seeks to highlight only three wastes that we can cut or do away with.

Business Class Foreign Travel: Not only do we have so many foreign travels but most of these travels are in Business Class. For a nation that suffers from WET depravity, this is a profligate

expenditure that we can do without. Business Class (and higher/better) travel should be available only to the most senior and most sensitive of government positions. If the National Security Advisor can travel economy, so can a host of other positions much less in rank and sensitivity than that of the National Security Advisor. Listen to Brigadier-General Nunoo-Mensah express that sentiment better. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cJrotp7FrIk#t=2701

Government Scholarship for Studies Abroad: As a nation that suffers from WET, are we in a position to be providing scholarships to Ghanaians to go abroad and study for degrees in non-Science and non-Engineering programs? Can we afford this profligate expenditure when some Ghanaian kids are studying at the mercy of the weather? Do we have our priorities in the right places?

Extravagant Projects:
Right in the center of the nation's capital, the term bathroom means a trip to the beach by a sizeable portion of the residents. In this state of underdevelopment, should we be patting ourselves on the back because we are planning on millennium cities, international airports, flyovers, etc? Why don't we first ensure that the concept of a bathroom is uniformly understood by all Ghanaians?

Let us focus, let us prioritize, let us elect the right leadership, and WET for all may be an achievable Ghanaian dream after all.

The Communications Team, NPP Canada.
Contact Info: nppcanada.org/1-647-800-3585/[email protected]

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