OIL IN GHANA!!! Blessing or curse?

[sheriff 05]

As-salam alaikum,
Hurray for Ghana!!! As i'm sure everyone is now aware, Ghana has just struck oil. This could potentially boost its economy and if managed properly, make Ghana Africa's shining star. However a slight problem may exist. I recently read an insightful article describing the state of African (and some south american) oil producing nations. very very few countries have been able to harness the benefits of oil, instead (according to the article) nearly all relatively stable countries have plunged into one form of conflict or the other after the discovery of oil. and even where conflict is averted, curroption, mismanagement and inefficiency has meant that these countries never take economic benefit of the new found oil wealth.

I put forth a question therefore, considering the plight of Nigeria and other African and south american countries, is Oil a blessing or a curse? What does this therefore mean for the new kid on the block, Ghana? Do we rejoice or do we weep?

[Dan-Borno]

*.....I shot the Sheriff....*

What an excellent reflection. 

Roughly a decade after the first oil shock,
Nigeria is faced with several economic problems
including a serious decline in its agricultural sector
and a deteriorating external debt situation.

Verily, Ghana may not be an exception,
however, if only Ghana could see what happened
to Nigeria and take precaution(s), then, as
rightly said by Dattijo Sheriff "make Ghana
Africa's Shining Star".

[gogannaka]

Congratulations to Ghana.
I bet now for a Nigerian to enter Ghana we might need to obtain a visa.
For sure many Nigerians will migrate to Ghana for a better living.

Nigeria has become such a place that Nigerians are migrating to Chad,Niger Mali etc for a new lease of life.
Allah ya gyara mana wannan kasar tamu.
But for sure Ghana will not be like Nigeria.

[neozizo]

a curse only if they have the kinda leaders nigeria has.

[sdanyaro]

Aha.... "The curse of natural resources".  .  .

[HUSNAA]

Ghanaians will probably make better use of their petrol resource than we have made of ours. They are already talking of using gas to generate power as an alternative to hydroelectricity which has failed them.

[amira]

Definately a blessing for Ghana thats good for them and as for the nigerians bakin ciki sai ya kashe su, since the people are mindless, O ni nigeria yaushe mutanen zasu bar cikin kasa. Allah gyra mana kasarmu ameen.

[babanteema1]

Wallahi Tallahi, it is a blessing to Ghana. How can you compare Ghana and Nigeria. Let me tell Nigeria is always diffrent from all nations. Go to Ghana and see how people behave in an oderly manner and respecting laws. Ghana will surely manage their oil and will excel more than Nigeria. Kai bari kawai, muna ta masala a Nigeria sosai. Allah ya kawo sauki AMIN.

[amira]

Amin babanteema.

As for the president of Ghana John Kufuor being interviewed by the BBC he says
"The discovery of the country's major oil deposit could turn the west african country into an african tiger, even without oil, we are doing so well......with oil as a shot in the arm we are going to fly"he then goes on to say
"oil is money, and we need money to do the schools,the roads the hospital. If you find oil, you manage it well, can you complain about that?

He has said it well, if you find a treasure you look after it and bring out the best in it, but for us(nigeria) we find treasure and mis handle it and end up with millions of problems that are trying to kill us.

i must have been reading something about nigeria's oil and came across a section on maintance which is a solution in itself, why do our people lack maintance or go for the cheaper option of something that has degraded whilst there is money. no wonder why our nigerian airways dont fly cos of its rusted engine that hasnt been looked after(believe me it aint a pleasant flight) :(.