PROMOTING SOUTH-SOUTH CO-OPERATION (SEPT 10, 2010)

For sometime now, Ghana and Equatorial Guinea have been exploring various opportunities to deepen their bilateral ties.
Ghana, which is on the verge of becoming an oil-producing country, has a lot to learn from Equatorial Guinea that has been producing oil on a large-scale on the African continent.
That partnership must be encouraged in the light of limited co-operation among countries of the South as against the tendency of developing countries always looking up to the North for support.
Even in circumstances when opportunities exist in developing countries to engender South-South co-operation, many governments in the South would not explore such avenues to develop their economies.
We are encouraged by the growing ties between Ghana and Equatorial Guinea through the exchange of visits by the leaders of the two countries.
President J. E. A. Mills, since assuming office, has visited Equatorial Guinea on two occasions while his Equatorial Guinean counterpart, President Teodoro Nguema Mbasogo, has reciprocated the gesture with his current visit.
In December this year, Ghana will become the centre of brisk business with the exploration of its oil and that explains why our good friends expect that we will not face the challenges confronting oil-producing countries.
The Daily Graphic is aware that our leaders are working hard to avoid the “Dutch” disease and the oil curse by making it a policy never to re-invent the wheel but to learn from the experiences of oil producers such as Equatorial Guinea.
During discussions at the bilateral talks at the Peduase Lodge on the Akuapem Ridge on Wednesday, the two leaders and their delegations discussed issues concerning Ghana’s emerging oil and gas industry.
We are happy that the ties between the two countries are not growing only at the governmental level but also among the peoples of the two countries, who can be found in Accra and Malabo seeking greener pastures.
Just as we have a lot to learn from Equatorial Guinea in the fields of oil and gas, Ghana can also share its rich experiences in the fields of agriculture, decentralisation and democracy with Equatorial Guinea.
Ghana is not self-sufficient in food production yet, which is why the assurance by President Mills that the government will continue to support the agricultural sector to produce food in abundance and at reasonable prices is reassuring.
The Daily Graphic appeals to the government to take steps to make agriculture more attractive by providing the incentive for the youth to produce food so that in future when we join the producers of oil and gas we are not afflicted by the ‘Dutch’ disease.
We also commend Sidalco Company Limited, headed by Mr David Lamptey, a former legislator, for establishing the largest fertiliser plant in Africa as his contribution to the promotion of the green revolution on the continent.
Projects like the fertiliser plant will go a long way to promote inter-African trade, as well as deepen integration in the West African sub-region.
We encourage our leaders to create the platform for more trade among countries of the sub-region.
The pledge by President Mills and his Equatorial Guinean counterpart should provide the tone for friendship and trade ties among African countries.