GHANA IS DOING WELL?

Ghana by Eli Shany אלי שני

Ghana is having elections.

Ghana is doing well.

Its economy is growing at nearly 10 % a year.

It has oil, cocoa and gold.

The World Bank now describes Ghana as a 'middle-income country'.

The mortality rate for children below the age of 5 has almost halved in the past 20 years.

76 % of its children go through primary school.

Lagos by Ulf Ryttgens

Politics in Ghana is partly tribal.

Politics in Ghana is partly about the struggle between the USA and China for Africa's mineral wealth.

The present government is led by President John Atta Mills, of the National Democratic Congress (NDC).

The NDC is centre-left, believing in a strong role for the state in running the economy and managing Ghana's new oil wealth

The opposition is led by Nana Akufo-Addo, of the New Patriotic Party (NPP).

The NPP is centre-right, believing in the free market. The NPP's last time in government ended with a huge budget deficit.

The NPP has a small lead in the polls.

The NDC has been criticised for arranging a $3 billion loan from the China Development Bank in return for oil from the Ghana National Petroleum Corp.

The state electricity company has failed to collect debts of more than $200 million, much of it owed by multinational companies.

The NDC tends to be supported by the Ewe tribes, while the NPP tends to be supported by the Ashanti. Both tribal groups are mainly Christian.

The Dagomba in the north are Islamic.

So far, Ghana has largely avoided tribal and religious conflict.

http://www.upi.com/Top_News/Analysis/Walker/2012/03/26/Walkers-World-Africa-old-and-new/UPI-49921332757800/#ixzz1qKl9bWdN