THIRD WORLD TO FIRST WORLD - BY ONE TOUCH

People write books for many reasons. I wrote this book because I am frustrated with my country.Dear reader, 50 years ago (1961-2011) Ghana embarked on the Akosombo Hydropower Plant, we ran it, managed it, and carried out the maintenance activities. HOW COME that for a period spanning nearly two generations we never acquired the capacity to build the Bui Hydropower Plant, practically one quarter of the size of the Akosombo Plant with a much smaller lake and we are compelled to bring the Chinese to build for us? The question that beats me is this; would this have happened in Korea, India, or Malaysia under similar conditions? The Author wants the reader to know that Dr. Kwame Nkrumah was doing exactly what the Chinese have done to bring their nation to the present level of economic development. The Chinese used state resources to empower the citizenary in KNOWLEDGE, FINANCE and TECHNOLOGY when employed in state enterprises and later, in a denationalized programme, allowed the people to use their God-given talent and ingenuity to take on the world by storm. The writer went on to describe so many other projects including oil mills, petroleum refinery that had existed for about ½ a century and our inability to replicate any of these projects. The Author lamented about the fact that road and bridge construction and manufacturing were being dominated by foreigners. For 50 years we managed only to double cocoa production from half a million tons to a million tons while the Malaysians had increased their palm oil production from a few thousand tons in the 60s to about 17.7 million in 2009. The local currency (the old cedi) has depreciated by about 1.6 million percent from Nkrumah’s time while for instance the Japanese Yen had appreciated from about 358 Yen to 76 dollars between the 70s and the year 2011. Within 5 years, i.e. 1961 and 1966, many major projects were undertaken by Dr. Kwame Nkrumah compared with projects executed by subsequent governments with much longer years and far more financial resources and better man-power. Gold Coast at a Glance showed that the country had very few Educational Institutions and Industries; and within a short period that Nkrumah ruled the country, many many projects were established. The book also explains the conditions that led to the introduction of the Preventive Detection Act (PDA) with unpublished information as well as the Geopolitical situation in the world 1945-1966 and how Dr. Nkrumah was affected by those conditions. The book gave 4 major unpublished reasons leading to the overthrow of the Busia’s Government and described what Col. Acheampong had achieved during his 7 year rule. It mentions the progress of the country in the NDC/PNDC rule and the special Presidential Initiative on starch by the NPP Government and why it failed. It examines power/energy production in Ghana as well as sustainable bio-fuels, wind and solar power, biodiesel and ethanol production, as well as energy from other wastes. It also describes the fortunes of major industrial projects, and talked about National Transportation Strategy including the State Transport, State Taxi, Air Transport, Tema Dry Dock, Ghana Atomic Energy Commission, Science and Technology, Tertiary Institutions, Banks and the contribution of Private Sector to poverty reduction; the Dynamics of Wealth Creation in the 21st Century, the establishment of Advanced Machine Tool Technology Centre and recommends a way forward for reviving the economy using the Input/Output Matrix backed by Social / Statistical Information. The need to declare new objectives in consonance with the new Economic Order – IT (INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY), BIOTECHNOLOGY and NANOTECHNOLOGY (It deals with particle size below or equals - One Billionth of a meter) to be sure we are not left behind the technological race and asserts that the Poverty Gap is a Technology Gap. It mentions the need to link our educational and human resource development to clearly defined national development agenda with quantifiable targets based on the Indians and the Korean experience. It mentions the need to process our newly discovered crude oil in order to prevent the oil curse. It talks about the Potential of the Afram Plains as a Major Wealth Creating Centre as well as salt as an important mineral resource for Ghana. It suggests a “Statement of Industrial Policy” to guide our industrialization programme. Almond as a wealth creator to propel this country from Third World to First World is also mathematically demonstrated. Finally, is suggests the nature of the leadership with special attributes to move this country from a Third World to a First World. The book covers the full Auto Biography of the writer and activities that the writer has been engaged in since the 60s. This book should excite young and upcoming politicians, especially those who did not experience the era of Nkrumah’s rule as well as Africans in the Diaspora and any other person who has interest in Nkrumah’s activities and the fortunes of Ghana. The book contains graphs and photos that will make reading fun and not get board, as well as, reading stories and encounter with snakes and pigs.