As long as our leaders have no clue or focus on raw material processing,but EXPORTS IN CRUDE FORM,no African Child has any chance in global spheres,beside what parents could afford.
That is very sad.
You said,as working pop ... read full comment
As long as our leaders have no clue or focus on raw material processing,but EXPORTS IN CRUDE FORM,no African Child has any chance in global spheres,beside what parents could afford.
That is very sad.
You said,as working population age in other parts of the world,young Africans could find their labour and skills increasingly in high demand internationally,IF THEIR GOVERNMENTS PURSUE POLICIES THAT IMPROVE EDUCATION AND JOB TRAINING FOR THE YOUTH.
That is totally right,BUT THE QUESTION IS:
WHO IS THINKING OF IMPROVING THE SKILLS,JOB TRAINING AND EDUCATION OF OUR CHILDREN,IN AFRICA?
China,India and Brazil are in AFRICA to exploit us of our NATURAL RESOURCES,but not thinking of our development,like you think.
Our leaders have to think of our children,but not any foreigner,who has a child at home.
What is our leaders doing to take advantage of other countries' age in working population?
Since 2008,when the development countries were badly hit by secession,what advantage could AFRICAN LEADERS take on their situation/circumstance/weakened economy,to develop Africa to the extent of taking a share?
NOTHING!
The DEVELOPED NATIONS have bounced back to exploit us,once more.
BUSINESS AS USUAL.
Unless AFRICAN LEADERS BEGIN TO BE PROACTIVE IN THEIR STRATEGIES AND DECISION MAKING,THAT ENSURES PROBLEM-SOLVING AND DEVELOPMENT AS A WHOLE,WE CAN NEVER ACHIEVE ANYTHING WORTHWHILE,FOR OUR CHILDREN'S FUTURE.
MENSAH 10 years ago
Please,the word is recession,rather than secession,like you see there.
Sorry about that.
Please,the word is recession,rather than secession,like you see there.
Sorry about that.
EZEKIEL 10 years ago
At least,I have the feeling that the Ghana Govt. has NO CLUE as to what to do with the youth! NO POLICY STATEMENTS.They are just busy stealing for their OWN future and we ALL LOOK on flabbergasted as to WHY NOTHING HAPPENS!!
At least,I have the feeling that the Ghana Govt. has NO CLUE as to what to do with the youth! NO POLICY STATEMENTS.They are just busy stealing for their OWN future and we ALL LOOK on flabbergasted as to WHY NOTHING HAPPENS!!
ABBA 10 years ago
President Mahama's call on Ghanaians to patronize Ghanaian made goods is patriotic and in the right direction as other countries like USA, Britain, Germany and others have embarked on similar missions to keep manufacturing pl ... read full comment
President Mahama's call on Ghanaians to patronize Ghanaian made goods is patriotic and in the right direction as other countries like USA, Britain, Germany and others have embarked on similar missions to keep manufacturing plants in their respective countries surviving the onslaught of goods made in China.
Did President Mahama intentionally omit services provided in Ghana? Is the President practicing what he preach? What about "made in Ghana Christmas"? Is he averse in spending his Christmas in Ghana? Tourism is a big industry that a lot of countries like Kenya depends on and we in Ghana can do the same if we develop our tourist attractions in the North like Paga crocodile pond, the scenic and cultural sites in the Volta region, Kintampo waterfalls and other areas that can earn Ghana a lot of money but we cannot do this when our President in keep spending Christmas outside the country. President Mahama in 2012 loaded his family into the taxpayers fueled plane and junketed to South Africa spending hundreds of thousands of dollars to prop up South Africa economy.
As if on cue, your Mr patronize Ghanaian goods President did the same during the 2013 Christmas by loading his family, nobody knows how many of his numerous children he took with him and bodyguards to United Arab Emirates and spent two weeks there propping up the UAE economy by dropping hundreds of thousands of dollars in not a couple of millions into that economy.
First, let's deal with the INSENSITIVE issue. Do you think the Emir of UAE will take a vacation to Rome or Jerusalem during the Moslem holidays that come after their fasting and prayers festivities or do you think the King of Saudi Arabia will take a vacation in Jerusalem or Rome during the Hajj? This is an insult to Christians. Is Dubai the only city this President could have taken his vacation? Why should the father of the nation take a vacation outside the country during the christmas holidays? Couldn't he have taken his vacation to Bole and expose his children to harsh realities of life about how majority of Ghanaians live instead of taken them to Dubai like the rest of Ghanaians live like that.
Secondly, Dubai is one of the most expensive cities in the world to live in or take vacation to when some of their hotel rooms cost as much as $6000 a room per night and a plate of dinner can cost as much as $495.00 a plate. How many rooms did Mahama and his entourage book for the twelve days he spent in UAE? If he and his entourage took ten rooms at an average cost of 2000 dollars per room per night, that is $240,000 just on hotel room alone without counting the food. This is really insensitive at a time some Ghanaians couldn't even afford a traditional chicken for christmas whilst the President and his family were living it up in Dubai, feasting on lambs and chickens ensconced in a cozy Dubai hotel. How much did President Mahama vacation in Dubai cost Ghanaian taxpayers or he is paying these expenses from his own pocket like the rest of us JOE BLOWS do when we go on vacation? This vacation I bet will cost Ghanaian taxpayers between $750,000 to one million dollars.
What is wrong with our leaders is that they are drunk with power they know what they should do to save our economy from total collapse but they don't want to make the harsh decisions that will reduce their stranglehold on the people because such decisions will reduce their powers significantly.
jk 10 years ago
See attached and below for the piece I am putting together concerning the Ridge hospital renovation and expansion. Let's talk later.
The $1 million-per-Room Building
I was looking up some informati ... read full comment
See attached and below for the piece I am putting together concerning the Ridge hospital renovation and expansion. Let's talk later.
The $1 million-per-Room Building
I was looking up some information on the internet and I chanced upon an article talking about the sale of former heavy-weight champion of the world's, Evander Holyfield's, mansion in Georgia. The 235-acre mansion was purchased by Rick Ross for about $2.5 million. The building has 109 bedrooms, a 350,000-gallon pool, a dining room that sits 100 guests, a bowling alley and a movie theater,a lot of bathrooms and other facilities. I am not sure how much Holyfield initially bought or built that mansion for. I started looking up prize of other mansions in the uS and around the world. What I found out was that almost all the palaces were very highly valued, I presume from the sentimental value attached to the buildings and the artifacts in them.
The 580-acre Updown Court in England has 103 rooms, an eight-limousine garage, five swimming pools, and a downstairs study mosaic floor made of 24-karat gold leaf, a two lane bowling alley, a snooker room, a 50-seat cinema with a private bar. According to Wikipedia, it is valued at US$138 million. Luxuo prizes it at uS$150 million. But according to Daily Mail, when the mansion was sold in October 2011, it fetched 35 million pound, instead of the asking prize of 75 million pounds.
The Accra Holiday Inn has 160 bedrooms and quite a number of other facilities. It has an estimated construction cost of US$24.9 million.
In 2008, the African Regency Hotel, aka Hotel Du Kufour, was put on the market for around US$6 million. The African Regency Hotel has about 109 guest rooms and other facilities.
In 2008, City Hotel in Kumasi was refurbished for US$21.2 million; for those with some knowledge of the state of the facility prior to the refurbishment, the hotel was almost built from scratch. This hotel has 160 guest rooms, conference and meeting rooms with total seating capacity of 500 people, and many other facilities.
The Children’s Medical Center Legacy in Plano, Texas has a total building area (sq. ft.) of 328,000, Construction cost/sq. ft. of $280, total construction cost (excluding land) of $92,000,000 and sits on a 84-acre site. It has a total of 240 patient beds, and four state-of-the-art emergency facilities. The facility features three above-ground floors plus a lower garden level, 72 single-patient rooms, and four operating rooms (plus shelled space for eight more), full-service diagnostics, an urgent/emergency care center, a lobby café, full-service cafeteria, chapel, gift shop, family resource center, and various patient and family lounges. The new building can be expanded by two additional floors, with long-term plans to add another five-story, two-wing bed tower.
The new Methodist Richardson Medical Center – opening April 14, 2014 – is a spectacular 125-bed hospital (with shell space for 50 more) featuring a dedicated Women’s Pavilion, well-appointed L and D suites, a level III NICU, a High-Risk Breast Surveillance Clinic, and robotic surgery, plus conveniences like free valet parking. With 400 physicians in 35 specialties, from cardiology and oncology to neurosurgery and orthopedics, the future of health care is bright at your new hospital for life.
It will also have inpatient beds related to an intermediate care unit, an ICU, medical and surgical care, telemetry, and labor and delivery. This new hospital has an estimated cost of US$120 million and has a square-foot of 266,250. It will have a cost/sq. ft. of US$451.
Then I read in the media about the story of Ridge hospital renovation and expansion. I was initially dismissive of the over US$300 million monetary figure suggested in the report. From what I read, the expansion was going cover 200 more rooms. Not a lot of information was provided as to the facilities and amenities that the building was going to have. A day later, a friend of mine called me and expressed alarm at a story he had read concerning how much Ghana was purportedly paying for the expansion a medical facility. After a brief discussion with my friend, I started searching for more information about the circumstances surrounding the Ridge hospital renovation. This is what led me to the curiosity of looking into the market value of buildings and facilities described above.
Taking one of the facilities describe above as an example, this means Ghana can have three new medical centers similar to the new Methodist Medical Center in Richardson, Texas (please take time to review the link above). Why then is Ghana not pursuing something obviously better for the nation? Imagine having these types of facilities in three major regional capitals. Why would that not be the desired focus of the government?
The story of Ridge hospital renovation and expansion carries with it multiple discouraging and disparaging feelings and thoughts. Who in his right mind would want to swerve a his or her own nation by hundreds of millions of dollars. I guess the other question is what sort of people would allow a small group of people to steal over US$140 million when they, the people, do not have water to drink, electricity for their homes and businesses, good roads to drive on, a good medical facility to go to when they get sick, etc.? Are the authorities involved in the theft to blame or the apathetic citizenry to blame?
My thoughts are that the folly of being wise in a society where ignorance and apathy is bliss is not worse than the slow death from scarcity and despair in the midst of blatant corruption and looting. The naked truth is that corruption and looting of the nation's coffers can only be curtailed if, and only if, those involved are prosecuted, lose all their assets (including all accomplices) and jailed. The punishments should be very severe for people in positions of authority. This will go a long way in, at least, curbing some of the corrupt practices.
The challenge here is that the populace should demand this accountability. They have the power to address the looting and corruption. They elected the members of parliament and president. I am sure all Ghanaians suffer the same lack of water, electricity, car-worthy roads, decent medical facilities and amenities, etc. A member of parliament from your constituency living lavishly does little to alleviate your impoverish situation if you do not demand; it does not matter if you are from the same party as the member of parliament. unless you seek, you will never find. And unless you ask, it shall never be given to you. How is that difficult?
The Alliance For Accountable Governance (AFAG) is calling for an immediate investigation into the $306 million allocated for the expansion of the Ridge Hospital in Accra.
In a statement issued in Accra, Wednesday, the group said it is "alarmed at a recent report at the Ridge hospital and shocked at the amount of money that is supposedly being spent on the expansion work at the Ridge hospital, when clearly the struggling country will lose up to $85 million”.
AFAG noted that though the decision to expand the Ridge hospital is a laudable, the cost for the project is questionable.
Below is the full statement
THE ROT in the RIDGE HOSPITAL expansion contract
The Alliance For Accountable Governance (AFAG) acknowledges the good work being done within the health sector in the delivery of important and specialized services to both young and old citizens of our beloved country.
The health sector has over the years, performed excellently well even in the face of many challenges and both the medical and non-medical staff have almost always given their best to bring the sector to the level it has reached today.
AFAG would like to thank EXPORT-IMPORT BANK and HSBC Bank of the United States of America for assisting in financing the expansion of the Ridge Hospital in Accra.
This is a welcoming gesture that would go a long way to improve the quality of health delivery by medical officers at the Ridge hospital.
The expansion of Ridge hospital is a laudable decision that is worthy of praise.
Ghana’s continuous population growth means that more social facilities, including hospitals and clinics would have to be constructed and existing ones need to be expanded to meet the growing demand for quality health care.
We support the development of Ghana’s health sector and indeed, every other sector and we appreciate the need to expand and improve the facilities so as to increase productivity.
However, we are alarmed at a recent report at the Ridge hospital and shocked at the amount of money that is supposedly being spent on the expansion of the Ridge hospital from a 200 bed to a 420 bed capacity at a questionable cost of $306 million.
One would wonder how it is possible for Africa’s richest man, Aliko Dangote to build a state of the art 1000 bed capacity hospital, a project which will be implemented via his Dangote Foundation, at an estimated cost of N2 billion ($12.38 million) in Kano State, Nigeria; a country with similar economic situation as Ghana whilst Ridge hospital would add just 220 bed to the existing 200 beds at a whopping cost of $306 million.
AFAG bemoans the Parliament of Ghana for approving such a deal between the Government of Ghana and Bouygues Bartiment International for the design, construction, procurement and installation of equipment for the rehabilitation of the Ridge hospital when clearly the struggling republic will lose up to $85 million.
AFAG are at a loss as to how the representatives of the good people of Ghana would approve such a deal such a deal ignoring the expert advice of consultants paid with the taxpayer’s money.
This is happening at a time our dear country is struggling with our economy. We of AFAG are highly disappointed in the august house for not scrutinizing the deal. We are reliably informed that the deal was approved on the blind side of the minority in Parliament.
AFAG is calling for an immediate full scale enquiry into this matter that is surrounded in monstrous corruption and has caused the country millions of dollars. Ghana cannot continue on this disastrous path if we are to build this nation. We call on the appropriate state investigation bodies to thoroughly investigate this issue and examine the facts so as to establish the truth and expose those who are involved in this fraudulent arrangement.
AFAG calls on President Dramani Mahama, if he is minded to fight corruption, to immediately cause an investigation. The President must live up to the promise he made to the good people of Ghana and the anti-corruption campaigners at the Flagstaff House in Kanda, Accra on 15 November, 2013. We urge the president to ensure that this matter is not swept under the carpet as we have seen in recent times and also implore him to walk his talk in the fight against corruption.
jk 10 years ago
The Mahama administration intention to renovate the Ridge hospital and increase the services offered by this hospital including an additional 220 beds is a noble one but as with every Ghana developmental project, this particu ... read full comment
The Mahama administration intention to renovate the Ridge hospital and increase the services offered by this hospital including an additional 220 beds is a noble one but as with every Ghana developmental project, this particular endevour takes the cake in terms of corruption. I have done a research into the cost of new hospitals built in USA where labour cost is at least ten times what pertains in Ghana and with $306 million dollars, we can build three new modern hospitals even if we don't change the labour cost between Ghana and USA.
Ghana’s continuous population growth means that more social facilities, including hospitals and clinics would have to be constructed and existing ones need to be expanded to meet the growing demand for quality health care.We support the development of Ghana’s health sector and indeed, every other sector and we appreciate the need to expand and improve the facilities so as to increase productivity. However, we are alarmed at a recent report at the Ridge hospital and shocked at the amount of money that is supposedly being spent on the expansion of the Ridge hospital from a 200 bed to a 420 bed capacity at a questionable cost of $306 million.
One would wonder how it is possible for Africa’s richest man, Aliko Dangote to build a state of the art 1000 bed capacity hospital, a project which will be implemented via his Dangote Foundation, at an estimated cost of N2 billion ($12.38 million) in Kano State, Nigeria; a country with similar economic situation as Ghana whilst Ridge hospital would add just 220 bed to the existing 200 beds at a whopping cost of $306 million.
The Children’s Medical Center Legacy in Plano, Texas has a total building area (sq. ft.) of 328,000, Construction cost/sq. ft. of $280, total construction cost (excluding land) of $92,000,000 and sits on a 84-acre site. It has a total of 240 patient beds, and four state-of-the-art emergency facilities. The facility features three above-ground floors plus a lower garden level, 72 single-patient rooms, and four operating rooms (plus shelled space for eight more), full-service diagnostics, an urgent/emergency care center, a lobby café, full-service cafeteria, chapel, gift shop, family resource center, and various patient and family lounges. The new building can be expanded by two additional floors, with long-term plans to add another five-story, two-wing bed tower.
The new Methodist Richardson Medical Center – opening April 14, 2014 – is a spectacular 125-bed hospital (with shell space for 50 more) featuring a dedicated Women’s Pavilion, well-appointed L and D suites, a level III NICU, a High-Risk Breast Surveillance Clinic, and robotic surgery, plus conveniences like free valet parking. With 400 physicians in 35 specialties, from cardiology and oncology to neurosurgery and orthopedics, the future of health care is bright at your new hospital for life.
It will also have inpatient beds related to an intermediate care unit, an ICU, medical and surgical care, telemetry, and labor and delivery. This new hospital has an estimated cost of US$120 million and has a square-foot of 266,250. It will have a cost/sq. ft. of US$451.
Then I read in the media about the story of Ridge hospital renovation and expansion. I was initially dismissive of the over US$300 million monetary figure suggested in the report. From what I read, the expansion was going cover 200 more rooms. Not a lot of information was provided as to the facilities and amenities that the building was going to have. A day later, a friend of mine called me and expressed alarm at a story he had read concerning how much Ghana was purportedly paying for the expansion a medical facility. After a brief discussion with my friend, I started searching for more information about the circumstances surrounding the Ridge hospital renovation. This is what led me to the curiosity of looking into the market value of buildings and facilities described above.
Taking one of the facilities describe above as an example, this means Ghana can have three new medical centers similar to the new Methodist Medical Center in Richardson, Texas (please take time to review the link above). Why then is Ghana not pursuing something obviously better for the nation? Imagine having these types of facilities in three major regional capitals. Why would that not be the desired focus of the government?
The story of Ridge hospital renovation and expansion carries with it multiple discouraging and disparaging feelings and thoughts. Who in his right mind would want to swerve a his or her own nation by hundreds of millions of dollars. I guess the other question is what sort of people would allow a small group of people to steal over US$140 million when they, the people, do not have water to drink, electricity for their homes and businesses, good roads to drive on, a good medical facility to go to when they get sick, etc.? Are the authorities involved in the theft to blame or the apathetic citizenry to blame?
My thoughts are that the folly of being wise in a society where ignorance and apathy is bliss is not worse than the slow death from scarcity and despair in the midst of blatant corruption and looting. The naked truth is that corruption and looting of the nation's coffers can only be curtailed if, and only if, those involved are prosecuted, lose all their assets (including all accomplices) and jailed. The punishments should be very severe for people in positions of authority. This will go a long way in, at least, curbing some of the corrupt practices.
The challenge here is that the populace should demand this accountability. They have the power to address the looting and corruption. They elected the members of parliament and president. I am sure all Ghanaians suffer the same lack of water, electricity, car-worthy roads, decent medical facilities and amenities, etc. A member of parliament from your constituency living lavishly does little to alleviate your impoverish situation if you do not demand; it does not matter if you are from the same party as the member of parliament. unless you seek, you will never find. And unless you ask, it shall never be given to you. How is that difficult?
As long as our leaders have no clue or focus on raw material processing,but EXPORTS IN CRUDE FORM,no African Child has any chance in global spheres,beside what parents could afford.
That is very sad.
You said,as working pop ...
read full comment
Please,the word is recession,rather than secession,like you see there.
Sorry about that.
At least,I have the feeling that the Ghana Govt. has NO CLUE as to what to do with the youth! NO POLICY STATEMENTS.They are just busy stealing for their OWN future and we ALL LOOK on flabbergasted as to WHY NOTHING HAPPENS!!
President Mahama's call on Ghanaians to patronize Ghanaian made goods is patriotic and in the right direction as other countries like USA, Britain, Germany and others have embarked on similar missions to keep manufacturing pl ...
read full comment
See attached and below for the piece I am putting together concerning the Ridge hospital renovation and expansion. Let's talk later.
The $1 million-per-Room Building
I was looking up some informati ...
read full comment
Investigate cost of expansion at Ridge hospital
– AFAG demands
Source: Ghana|Myjoyonline.com|Adwoa Gyasiwaa
Date: 26-03-2014 Time: 05:03:21:pm
The Alliance For Accountable Governance (AFAG) is calling for an ...
read full comment
The Mahama administration intention to renovate the Ridge hospital and increase the services offered by this hospital including an additional 220 beds is a noble one but as with every Ghana developmental project, this particu ...
read full comment