Hope City to Nope City-Another Failed NDC Promise

Sometime it is redundant to numerate the many promises made by this Mahama led NDC government that have fell through the cracks. However, for the reader to appreciate the gravity of these failed promises, I will list but a few.
Leading to the 2012 general elections, Ghanaians were promised several social intervention programs and infrastructural developments projects in education, transportation, real estate, service and manufacturing industries with the view of alleviating their suffering.
Unsuspected Ghanaian electorates bought the idea and voted massively for the NDC. Notable among these promises were the proposed n 200 new senior high schools to be built in selected communities in the country. The project was to be executed in four phases, 50 schools every year.
Two years in government has nothing to show for; the only work that is evident on the project is the continuous promise to build those schools.
The proposed 5000 unit affordable housing project aimed at ameliorating the housing problems in Accra and its environs is now a mirage. One cannot forget the so-called rejuvenation of the Komenda Sugar factor, the Kpanlugu Tomatoe factory, the Nsawan Cannery, and the laundry list of many promises made by this government.
Of all these promises, one that is gut wrenching to many Ghanaians is the Hope City project. A multifaceted cluster of six skyscrapers intended to provide accommodation to 25,000, and offer employment opportunities for 50, 000 Ghanaians. Earmarked to be situated in Pampram near
Tema, Hope City is to be Africa’s tallest building, and the technological hob in Ghana and part of the sub-Saharan Africa.
Many pundits in the real estate and technology industries have done extensive work on the feasibility of the project. Many have predicted it to be another “white elephant” or “ghost town” in apparent reference to similar architectural fantasies being pushed by African leaders and some private investors to reconfigure Africa’s capital cities to meet its so-called new middle income status.
Similar projects proposed in Kigali, Nairobi, Dar El Salaam and Gaborone have been shelved for lack of capital and architectural deficiencies. I will therefore not waste time to discuss the feasibility of this project.
Ghanaians remember that on the 4th March 2013, the Hope City project was launched with a huge funfair. Many entrepreneurs from Ghana and abroad, as well as government officials and members of the diplomatic corps were there to graced the occasion. Another popular actor who could not miss the cameras of the attending journalist was Mr. Roland Agambire of RLG communication group.
With all the pageantry that graced the launching of this project led by President Mahama and his NDC cohorts, one would have taught that by now actual construction work would have started on the site, but no, a year after the launch, hope city is still on paper.
Of course, what do Ghanaians expect when Roland Agambire of RLG communications partners the government in such a whopping $10 billion project? It is the same RLG who was awarded $20 million contract under GYEEDA to train Ghanaian youth in mobile phone repairs, another $10million for tree planting and Guinea fowl project, and had nothing to show for.
The same Roland Agambire is the brain behind this hope city project. He is said to be providing 30% of the funding and Ghana government coughing up the 70% from the tax payer. The feasibility studies and the architectural work alone is budgeted to be hundreds of millions, How about the cost of securing funds for the project? Another hundreds of millions that the country does not have.
For all its intended purposes, this monstrosity is designed as a conduit for government functionaries and NDC financiers to siphon from the nation’s coffers.
Fasten your seat and witness another “create, loot and share” unfold, to borrow the words of the sole judgment debt commissioner, Justice Yaw Apau.