The founder and CEO of Imani Africa Policy Think Tank, Franklin Cudjoe has ‘ridiculed’ the two major political parties for their unattainable dreams over the years. He noted that before the government-forming party, the NPP had thought of its US$ 2.5 Sky Train “juju” project, the NDC had attempted an achievable project to construct a railway connecting Accra and Kumasi.
He indicated that the NDC Mahama-led administration, represented by the then Minister of State in charge of the Public-Private Sector, Rashid Pelpuo, in 2015 contracted a New York investment firm to draft a request for proposal for the construction of a high-speed rail system that connects Accra and Kumasi.
“The bank, Chesterfield Faring Ltd., is also expected to design another proposal covering an elevated mass transit commuter system connecting a newly-developed trade zone to the Kotoka International Airport (KIA)”.
Franklin Cudjoe
He indicated that the government then had indicated in a press release that when completed, the bullet train from Accra to Kumasi would allow traffic from Accra and Kumasi in less than an hour and twenty-four minutes which would make transportation of goods and people easy and fast.
Furthermore, Mr. Franklin Cudjoe specified the press statement by the New York-based Investment Firm indicated that the request for proposal will cover a 120,000 square meter transit-oriented development in Accra in addition to a 65,000 square meter transit-oriented development in Kumasi.
He stated that each transit-oriented development, according to the statement, was supposed to include shopping centers, public and private parks and gardens, office towers, a hotel with conference spaces, and the balance being residential towers of 1,000 units with full amenities.
He further indicated that the Investment firm had also made it known that the initial expenditure estimate of the project is about a whopping US$ 12 billion growing to US$ 30 billion over the balance of a decade.
He noted that the statement then specified that bids for the project would be considered after the master plan of the rail and transport-oriented development is completed in the request for proposal which the Department of Transportation, Housing and Finance worked to underwrite.
NDC Advised
Moreover, Mr. Franklin Cudjoe noted that he had warned the NDC government then, about previous failed attempts by governments in similar prospects. He emphasized that he advised the NDC government at the time, to investigate why the Kampac failed the NPP and the NDC’s Mills over $1bn and $6bn promises respectively.
The NDC, he indicated, paid no heed to his admonishment and went ahead with the rail and transport-oriented development which saw no fruition before the government was ousted in 2017 after the 2016 Presidential election.
Relating the NPP’s failed promise of a Sky Train and the NDC’s attempt at developing the rail system to connect Kumasi and Accra to the New Force Movement’s leader’s promise to dredge a sea from Accra to Kumasi, Mr. Franklin Cudjoe indicated that all these political promises are impractical.
“By the way, has Cheddar given us a rough estimate for his drainage system from Accra to Kumasi? Who needs large a drainage through difficult topography when Railways would be better especially as we already have the rail lines”.
Franklin Cudjoe
The tendency of political parties to make unrealistic promises during elections has become increasingly high as the country approaches yet another General Election in December. Guilty of this act are the two major political parties and emerging movements like the New Force and the Movement for Change, which also joined the race of unattainable promises.
The leader of the New Force Movement, Nana Kwame Bediako, popularly referred to as Cheddar in the Ghanaian public space in addition to his sea dredging promise, made other promises that are equally unrealistic given the country’s economic standing.
Conclusively, given the huge financial loss the country incurs through the implementation of unachievable projects that fail eventually, it is appalling how governments and political parties, and movements for that matter, continue to promise projects that will cause more financial loss while there are viable alternatives.
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