This Gargantuan Dam Provides Ghana With Electricity...

IMG_0092,
originally uploaded by ekbensah.

...and has been doing so since independence from the British in 1957, when the first President Dr.Kwame Nkrumah built it to power electricity throughout the country.

Ghana is, in effect, a hydro-dependent state, predicating its energy survival on rainfall into the dam that is generated into electricity. Currently, we supply electricity to some of our West African neighbours of Togo and Benin, whilst buying some of it from Cote d'Ivoire (according to engineer who spoke on the Accra-based English-speaking private radio station CITI 97.3FM) this morning.

However, as from 28 August--yesterday--the country has been compelled to undergo what Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) and Volta Regional Authority (VRA) [that supervises/manages the distribution of electricity in the country's Eastern Region] call "National Shedding" Programme.

Although it is expected that rains will fall in the country, the rainfall expected this cool season (July-October) has been very little as compared to the earlier months, where there were thunderstorms almost twice a week in the country (April-June)

The equation is: no rain = no electricity. Therefore, by putting domestic consumers on this "load management" programme, where the capital--divided into six zones--will experience electricity black-outs from 6am-6pm, and 6pm-6am respectively every other third day, energy will be saved for the next fifteen days.

If and when the rain falls in abundance -- as per the season 'requirements' -- the exercise may be postponed. Until then Ghanaian media has been carrying it. One of them you can read here: http://www.ghananewstoday.com/gnt_cn_detailb_featured.cfm?tblNewsCatID=51&tblNewsID=1456&CFID=188447&CFTOKEN=76004271

I understand that the last time something like this was in 1998. It's been a good eight years! Where was the foresight to avert an inconvenience of this magnitude?!!

I understand it's West Africa's biggest interchange...

I understand it's West AFrica's biggest interchange,
originally uploaded by ekbensah.

In a post reminiscent of this one here, this is a re-fresher of what the entering the Tetteh-Quarshie interchange looks like.

The denizen grapevine has it that this is the biggest interchange in West Africa; I have yet to find out any empirical, or official, evidence on this. What I do know is that it is a critical link to connecting both the East and West to other West African economies.

In Ghana, we call them economies from the Economic Community of West African States, or ECOWAS, established since 1975, with its Community Court of Justice; Parlament, etc.

Anglophone West Africans are still working on joining a regional currency, the ECO, to the already existing CFA, that serves the francophone ECOWAS countries(and is linked to the French treasury). You can visit the ECOWAS website here: ECOWAS

Last but important point to note about ECOWAS is that it was important in keeping the peace in Liberia, through its peace-keeping force of ECOMOG [Ecowas Monitoring Group] in the early 1990s (http://un_org.tripod.com/liberia, as well as helping facilitate the bringing to book of the notorious Charles Taylor.

Welcome to Ghana's latest entry into mobility: Gold Cab!

Welcome to Ghana's latest entry into mobility: Gold Cab!,
originally uploaded by ekbensah.

This afternoon, I went to Madina (featured earlier) to go buy some groceries, with a friend who works where this car was parked (A&C Shopping Mall).

This would probably have not been news, except for the fact that this white car--a brand-new FIAT Sereno(sp?)--fully air-conditioned took me around East Legon, Madina for the two hours I used it for, charging me a cool Ghanaian cedis100,000/hr (that's under $10/hr).

It's one of twenty cars from this Kokomlemle-based Cab service. Kokomlemle is very near BusyInternet, which has also been featured on this blog earlier.

Coming to fetch me at East Legon cost NOTHING to me. I jsut had to pay for the hours I used them. The guy came in uniform, speaks very good English, and engaged in small, but good conversation.

Definitely one to recommend if ever you come to Ghana one of these days. TEL:+233.21.235.069 / +233.21.235.091.

That inscription you see on the car is their logo. Click to enlarge!

So, in Ghana, we have, by way of transport:
a. privately-registered taxis that come in dual colours [Henry Osei is the owner of these cabs above, a businessman I am told];
b. tro-tros
c. private cars
d. metro mass buses
e. cab service--new!

Hooray for diversity!

On the Move in Accra: Mobile Police

Mobile policeman, accra,
originally uploaded by ekbensah.

a mobile policeman passes by us last week, looking very determined, as if he were in a motorcade for the President.

Considering the speed with which he passed by, maybe, he was in need of responding to a call of nature;-) The toilet bowls there would have been of no use to him!;-))

Front view of Ghana's human rights body, in Accra

front view of Ghana's human rights body, in Accra,
originally uploaded by ekbensah.

I was up "High Street" in Accra this morning (this is where the big banks of Standard Chartered; our nation's major park, named after the first President--Kwame Nkrumah--is located; as well as main headquarters of Ghana's still state-owned Ghana Commercial Bank, established 1957; and a slew of other institutions) on a work-related issue, with one of my colleagues. We were meeting officials from the so-called CHRAJ, or Commission on Human Rights and Adminstrative Justice, which has been monitoring and intervening in favour of a rights-based society since 1993. A good number of the officials there are legal practitioners. Feel free to check out their website.

Shame about their location: at the old Parliament House. You can imagine that they haven't upgraded the building, so it looks a bit incongruous seeing state-of-the-art IT equipment, coupled with men and women smartly-dressed, speaking in legalese and otherwise, when...the kitchen is, for example,...far from salubrious!!

Ghana's National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS)

Despite this huge placard in town, you'd be surprised by the difficulties associated with registering, which include first and foremost: apathy:-( Though the government has done a good job in communicating the NHIS to its citizens by way of TV ads (both in major local languages, and English), its full implementation remains a mystery;-) Some districts and areas have fully-subscribed; others are seeing very low levels.

Evidently more work to do than this huge placard, no?;-)

A Place for Kids to Go

Enough said?

This is located minutes away from where I work. Too quiet a neighbourhood for me!!

Have a good weekend!!:-)

A Glimpse of the Ubiquitous Shell Shop

Ubiquitous, cimply because they are littered all over the capital--and beyond! Few Ghanaians can now manage without visiting their Shell Shop (even if some of the prices of the goods are a tad higher than the retail price);-)

Wahoo--it posted!:-)

afternoon probs...

…with uploading of blogger photosL

 

Why???!!!

Finally!!-Battle of the Coke Vans:-)

Just a light-relief picture for the weekend of two vans--both from the Coca Cola Company of Ghana--having stopped at a shop just minutes walk away from where I work.

Now tell me: who's gonna win the battle of the Coca Cola vans?:-))

sorry!!

still having difficulty posting pictures from blogger!!!:-( anyone having the same problem?

blogger upoading...

...proviing difficult:-( will not load..maybe better luck tomorrow?

hope you are all well:-)