INCREASINGLY the
new found oil (black gold) in Ghana is generating several hullabaloos every
single day. There is never a day in this country of ours where the media and
civic society won’t utter a word without a reference to the so called the
‘economic messiah’ who will turn the fortunes and livelihoods of the people of
Ghana into that of a haven on earth.
One recent of such
instances is the chiefs and people of the Western region demanding for their
share of the national ‘economic messiah’. Yes I said chiefs and people because
if it is only the chiefs, they represent the people.
So who's turn will
it be next, for me it didn’t make a bit of logic and not to talk about the
implications this new development is likely to generate.
THE
QUESTION
Assuming the people
of Ashanti,Volta,Brong Ahafo and other regions who’s farmers toil contribute to
the much acclaimed cocoa producing country of ours also demands for whatever
percent, where will the nation be? I
am just trying to find out and more unarguably emptying my mind.
MY BEEF
My objective is to
put across what as a genuine Ghanaian I think is not a healthy development in
our quest to adequately distribute our God given resources.
If at all there is
any iota of truth in the sage ‘unity lies in strength’ then it is in only as a
united country we can adequately develop all the undeveloped parts of our dear
nation. I share and strongly believe that the people of the Western region
deserve much better than they have now but the solution to this abhorring
effect on the people of the Western region is a very strong and committed
political will not 10 percent of the "so called" oil revenue.
MY
REASONS
Let’s assume again
that the national cake meant for developing the Western region is given to the
people of that region to develop their own region, your guess is as right as
mine. Doom! That is what we will see; the point is that this same act of
inhumane, disrespect and blatant uncommitment to giving us what is due us will
still be with us.
May be we can say
that politicians in their quest to claim and clad themselves with power should
share in this dilemma, don’t ask me why because we all saw how politicians with
different ideologies but the same umbilical cord tried hard as they did to
score political points misinformed Ghanaians about what really there is in the
oil for them.
I have my reservations
as a Ghanaian but our people say that when you see a toad in the day, then
there is something that is pursuing it. Hence my reservations becomes
unreserved because FOR HOW LONG CAN WE WAIT AND SEE OUR PEOPLE PERISH IN
IGNORANCE, LACK OF INFORMATION AND BE MISINFORMED?.
NATHANIEL MENSAH
(www.natmensah.blogspot.com/[email protected])
THE WRITER IS THE S.R.C
VICE PRESIDENT OF THE GHANA INSTITUTE OF JOURNALISM