They say they come with the bible in one hand and a chain in the other, but often when they preach nuclear power, they don’t talk about the waste and the costly accidents.
The chatter is that Africa needs cheap electricity to power industries to drive economic growth to ensure prosperity and a better living. A concept that has been tuned across several sectors to bait greedy African leaders to grill, but that is a topic for another day.
Today let us stick to the nuclear thing. I read that my government is undertaking public sensitization programs to educate the public on nuclear power. I follow the news, so I know that was just another paid article from a luncheon. Even the so-called sensitization would have been propaganda.
I rarely hear nuclear power enthusiasts talk about the cost of storing nuclear waste. They mostly taut the 0 emission and cheap cost of producing power. It is estimated to cost the U.S about $50 billion to deal with nuclear waste. Juxtapose that with the $67 billion GDP of Ghana as of 2019. And note, nuclear currently makes up only 20% of the United States power mix since the first commercial nuclear power plant opened in 1958.
Before you pull out the apples and oranges argument, my point isn’t hinged on the financial cost of managing nuclear waste and accidents only, and even that, Ghana cannot deal with the financial repercussions of a nuclear meltdown and the compounding bills of keeping atomic waste will dig a massive hole in our economy.
With global affairs, I often get the impression our leaders act like kids in a candy shop. They spend a lot of money traveling and acquiring degrees, but it seems the only essence of those endeavors is a stamp on a passport and a certificate on the wall.
The world is waking up to the grim realities of nuclear power and countries shutting down their plants.
In reality, the economy and industries are not owned by Ghanaians. Most of the profits from manufacturing and other industrial activities are flown out of the country, making the economic growth theory another economic imperialist super story.
Ghana presently has more power production capacity than it requires. Our power issues are currently not about production but mismanagement and corruption. Yes, we will need a cleaner, cheaper energy source, but in the meantime, let us clean house and optimize the units in our current mix. We do not always have to be a dumping ground for archaic ideas.
Before we gamble on nuclear, let us first strive to develop solar capacity as a tropical nation before joining the cold world. We have the potential to get all domestic consumption onto solar. Let us pursue that and be the leaders of the tropical power. A far more advance and cleaner form of harvesting nuclear power.
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I met Ali in high school, and he played for the school team. Now, as a trained teacher, he is focused on introducing and teaching the game of basketball to children of diverse backgrounds and instilling in them a sense of responsibility, discipline, and the culture of nature conservation.
As the Communications Officer for one of the oldest, if not the oldest, Bilateral Trade Associations in Ghana, I gained significant exposure.
This sector has been the engine of growth and has sustained this country through its turbulent years.
At independence Ghana held a beacon, signalling that the continent was fully aware and ready to seize its destiny for progress and self-actualization. We’ve built America and financed Europe out of poverty; we are now poised to reclaim Africa and restore dignity to take a seat at the table.
We have generated an obscene amount of wealth which means we now work more than we ever had to but at the same time, more of us sink further into poverty.
